Low-key Ushirika Day fete after governor’s fails to honour Sh30,000 pledge

Saturday's Ushirika Day celebrations were a low-key affair after Governor Stanley Kiptis failed to honour his Sh30,000 "mobility" pledge.

Only a handful representative of farmers', teachers', jua kali artisans', matatus' and bodaboda saccos attended the occasion in Mogotio town.

“We had earlier approached Governor Kiptis and he promised to factor in Sh30,000 for mobility,” the planning committee chairperson Pamela Kimetto said.

Kimetto said the county boss ignored their phone calls all day on Friday until late in the evening.

“The function was scheduled for Saturday. Members of various saccos dug into their pockets to contribute towards the meeting because we really value it,” she said.

“Besides, Kiptis who was invited as the chief guest never bothered to attend or send a message of apology,” Kimetto said.

The ceremony was eventually presided over by county Livestock and Fisheries chief officer Isaac Ndirangu.

 Ndirangu said his boss was away attending a funeral ceremony. “I just stepped in for him but I promise that everything discussed and passed here shall reach him.” 

The theme for the internationally celebrated day was "Cooperatives for decent work".

Both the day’s speeches and presentation of trophies were handled by the Cooperatives Officer-Koibatek branch Rosemary Onyanycha, with the theme ‘cooperatives for decent work’.

County Agricultural Marketing Service Cooperative Society chairman Samuel Salbei criticised Kiptis for snubbing the function.

“As county economic institutions we had planned to present to him our list of grievances ranging from the delayed milk cooling plant in Eldama-Ravine, the stalled coffee mill, a slaughterhouse in Maoi, Salawa cotton ginnery and Mogotio tannery,” Salbei said.

The milk plant was initiated by former Governor Benjamin Cheboi. 

“We want to see the work done (by September), failure to which we shall mobilise our dairy farmers in protest,” Salbei said.