Kirinyaga Governor Ann Waiguru’s political advisor and more than 30 other people were arrested for allegedly breaking government regulations to curb coronavirus.
They were holding a meeting to condemn the deputy governor.
Peter Karinga and 32 others who last Wednesday protested against Waiguru had met to apologise to her when they were apprehended in a hotel in Mwea.
They had gathered to condemn deputy governor Peter Ndambiri for allegedly undermining her.
The suspects were arrested on Friday by police officers led by Mwea East commander John Onditi and locked up at Wang'uru police station pending investigation into the incident.
Onditi said they found the suspects holding an illegal meeting against directives by the government to keep social distance and wear masks.
Some of the people who were arrested together with Karinga had on Wednesday protested in Mwea town demanding Governor Waiguru’s removal over alleged poor performance and failure to pay health workers.
Waving anti-Waiguru placards and barricading roads, the youths accused Waiguru of failing to repair roads and other developments. She had abandoned residents who had been displaced by floods at Githogondo village, they charged.
Waiguru on the same day of the demo denied the allegations, saying she had done a lot. The health workers’ salaries had been delayed by the national government but the money had already been disbursed, she said.
The governor distributed relief food and other items to Githogondo flood victims.
Before they were arrested, the youth had said deputy governor Ndambiri had compromised them to hold the street demos in Mwea .
They told the press in Mwea the deputy governor exploited the ongoing hardship owing to Covid-19 to incite them to protest against Waiguru.
They said they realised they had been misled by the deputy governor and some of his allies and decided to apologise to Waiguru.
However, Ndambiri denied the allegations, saying he had nothing to do with the demonstration. He said he had previously been unfairly implicated in the impeachment motion against Waiguru.
Ndambiri claimed the demonstrators were coached to implicate him in the Mwea protests by some of Waiguru’s handlers for their selfish interest.
He said he follows Waiguru’s instructions as required and serves the residents diligently.
Edited by Henry Makori
