A Turkana driver's lobby has said members are being locked out of the census transport jobs.
Turkana County Drivers and Transport Association chairman Maxwell Ikamar said the Kenya National Bureau Statistics was planning to use vehicles and drivers from other counties.
But they want the KNBS Turkana office to award them direct tenders for the jobs.
Ikamar said Turkana was not well captured in the 2009 census because officers conducting the exercise were unable to access all the corridors of Turkana.
“It's our wish for all Turkana to be counted in the expected census exercise. Local drivers will help to traverse all corridors of the vast county,” he said.
The lobby chair said there was a need for KNBS to prioritise the interests of Turkana because the advertised tender for vehicles was unfair to locals.
Youth chairman and TUCODTA executive, Lokolog Sericho said they shall not accept vehicles from other counties to be brought in for the exercise.
“We shall not accept our rights to be violated. The KNBS should be devolved so they can help the community,” Sericho said.
Turkana county statistics officer Dennis Onchombo said the national steering committee and the county census committee will ensure the exercise benefits locals.
Ochommbo said government and parastatals vehicles will be considered before any private ones are acquired.
“Turkana drivers should apply if they have papers to meet the qualifications and requirements. They should desist from claiming marginalisation whenever they raise grievances,” he said.
Ochombo said the tender was open for everybody and if their association is active and registered then they have high chances to win it.
He said mapping and surveys were done in all regions and non-Turkana drivers will manage to cover all regions to enable the counting of all Turkana.
(edited by O. Owino)
