Shocking Standoff at Kisumu Governor’s Office: Workers Barricade Entrance in Fiery Protest
Drama unfolded at the Kisumu County Governor Anyang Nyong’o’s office on Wednesday when employees barricaded the entrance to his office.
The workers, representing the Kenya County Government Workers Union from the Kisumu branch, staged a protest against the county’s failure to address their concerns, expressing feelings of neglect.
They demanded the immediate payment of six months’ arrears in a lump sum, highlighting how the delayed payments had led to significant financial struggles in meeting their responsibilities.
As the protest unfolded, Governor Nyong’o, who arrived later that morning, was confronted by the workers. He was pressured into committing to resolving their complaints without delay.
In response, Nyong’o urged the workers to remain calm, assuring them that their pay would be processed within the week. “You will receive your payment on Friday. Tomorrow is a holiday,” he confirmed, seemingly frustrated by their persistence.
The workers shared their frustrations, recounting visits to the Minister of Roads where they were promised their salaries would be paid.
“We’ve gone without pay for more than six months now. We are exhausted; we just want our money,” one worker told the media.
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They also criticized some county executive committee members (CECMs) for preventing them from meeting with the governor, despite their efforts to speak with him directly.
“We refuse to talk to the appointed CECMs. We demand to meet the governor we elected,” one worker declared.
In October, the workers had issued a warning of a protest demanding their overdue salaries, which had accumulated for two months. They cautioned that such a strike would disrupt vital county operations, including revenue collection, inspectorate services, fire brigade, and environmental functions.
Through their chairman, Boaz Opiyo, the workers speculated that the salary delays were deliberately caused by certain county officials.
They criticized county executives for shifting the blame to the exchequer, claiming it was responsible for failing to release funds to the counties. The workers expressed their frustration over the delayed payments, which impacted their ability to pay for housing, school fees, and basic needs.
This comes after the National Treasury announced on November 18 that funds had been fully disbursed to the county governments.
Shocking Standoff at Kisumu Governor’s Office: Workers Barricade Entrance in Fiery Protest
