The drive, on Sunday, April 12, was to offer Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru a chance to engage the people of Kirinyaga in light of the pandemic.
This was not to be the case as a group of boda boda riders and youth allegedly linked to Kirinyaga Women Representative Purity Ngirici turned hostile.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru’s Covid-19 drive disrupted by youth on April 12, 2020.
The riled up group turned on media personnel who had arrived to cover the event and dispersed them.
It is alleged that the youth had earlier on been primed for violence by MCA Mathew Ireri in collaboration with his counterpart Rose Njeru.
The boda boda riders ensured that no journalists were present to cover the ruckus and escorted members of the 4th estate out of the town to the bordering Embu town.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru’s Covid-19 drive disrupted by youth on April 12, 2020.
File
One of the Ngariama residents who was present when the scuffle ensued expressed regret that the events of the day had been occasioned by the youth who allowed themselves to play puppet to politicians’ whims.
Daphine Githuku, an official from Office of Kirinyaga Women Representative who spoke to kenyagist.com said the claims were unfounded and were only a smear campaign orchestrated by Waiguru against Ngirici.
“Waiguru resorts to placing blaming on other people whenever she’s called to account,” she stated, adding, “The ground has just not been receptive to her. These are just people trying to call her to account.”
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru’s Covid-19 drive disrupted by youth on April 12, 2020.
File
Waiguru and Kirinyaga MCA’s have been locked in a standoff that has been cited as a risk to efficiently fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
The Kirinyaga County Governor had expressed her intention to hire an additional 200 medics but this proved difficult as MCAs declined to approve four nominees to the Public Service Board.
Without these, the board would not be properly constituted and unable to carry out its mandate of hiring additional county health workers.
