The troubles bedeviling Nyandarua County Public Service Board escalated on Thursday as residents went to the streets to demand its disbandment.
The over three hundred protestors were drawn from the five constituencies of Nyandarua,with most
of them being mobilized from Huruma slums,Site and Jua Kali
estates in Ol Kalou.
They accused the board of nepotism,corruption and poor management of public staff.
The demonstrators also accused Nyandarua speaker of defending the board.
"Further,we wish to protest the interference of the running of Nyandarua county government by the speaker of the Nyandarua County Assembly James Wahome Ndegwa," their petition, which was received by deputy governor Cecilia Mbuthia, read in part.
They went through the streets of Ol kalou town waving placards and twigs.
They then converged at the board's offices where they pulled down the gate after they found it locked by security officers who tried to bar them from accessing the offices to present a petition which they demanded that Nyandarua governor,Francis Kimemia, act on urgently.
"We are agitated because in this county the service board is managed by
cartels. Asmuch as governor Kimemia want to bring progressive change,he is held by the cartels," resident Kenneth Maina said.
Maina said the alleged cartels want corrupt officials from former governor, Daniel Waithaka's regime to remain in office so as to frustrate the implementation of governor Kimemia's manifesto.
Peterson Njuguna,the Kenya National Chambers of Commerce and Industry Nyandarua vice chairman said the "board sells jobs to outsiders who have money at the expense of Nyandarua children".
They demanded that governor Francis Kimemia,in two weeks,suspend the board and form a tribunal to investigate its members.
The board secretary, Jack Mbugua was not available for comment.
But the
board's chairman
Eliud Mwaura, attributed the protest to politics connected to recent shortlisting by the board of Chief Officers,
where two applicants, activist and blogger Chege Thiari and former Karau MCA, Sammy Ngotho, were among those not shortlisted.
The two petitioned the Nyandarua assembly seeking removal of the board from office.
Mwaura said he could not comment on the issue of Chief Officers since the matter is in Court.
On corruption and nepotism he said those with evidence to that effect should go to EACC and police as these are the institutions mandated to deal with such matters.
"This is politics as much as I can tell," he said.
Mwaura said the demonstration was an exercise in futility as as Section 58 of the County Government Act indicate it is only the County Assembly which has power to send the board packing, where 75 per cent of MCAs must approve.
"But those who don't want to follow the right process go into politics and call for mass protest," he said.