Demonstrators who on Wednesday demanded Governor Anne Waiguru’s removal over alleged underdevelopment and medics salaries’ nonpayment have accused her deputy of influencing them to protest.
The youth who included drivers, touts and casual labourers among others staged a protest at Mwea Town on Wednesday demanding that the county assembly impeach Waiguru.
This, they said, was due to non-performance.
They now blame her Deputy Peter Ndambiri of having compromised them to stage the street demos.
The demonstrators marched in the streets waving anti-Waiguru placards blaming her of failing to repair roads in the county among other developments, failing to pay health workers' salaries and abandoning residents who had been displaced by floods at Githogondo Village.
They barricaded roads during the demo that caused tension among traders in Mwea Town before about 30 of them were arrested and charged with various offences.
They were later released on bond.
Speaking to the press in Mwea Town on Thursday, the youth said the Deputy Governor took advantage of their current hardship owing to restrictions against Covid-19 to compromise them to protest for his own political interest after his relationship with his boss went sour.
“However after pondering about our uncalled for action later we realized we had been misled by the deputy Governor and some of his allies and thus decided to hold this meeting to apologise to Madam [Waiguru],” Kariuki said amidst shouts of support by his colleagues.
Waiguru on the same day denied their allegations of not developing the county saying she had done a lot and noted that health workers salaries had been delayed by the national government.
However, she said they had already been disbursed for payment.
When contacted for comment, Ndambiri denied the allegations saying he had nothing to do with the demonstrations and that he was busy with other important issues.
He claimed the demonstrators were coached to implicate him in the issue by some of Waiguru’s handlers to paint a bad image but of him.
Ndambiri insisted that as the substantive Deputy Governor, he follows the Waiguru's instructions as required and serves the residents diligently.
Ndambiri further said Mwea is his political stronghold and thus he could not do as he was being accused as this would 'ruin' his political status.
