A Nakuru resident, Evans Kimori, has urged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to step in and guide residents of the county as they initiate the process of suspending the Nakuru County government, which he has deemed incompetent.
In a letter directed to the IEBC Nakuru County Office on Monday, April 7, Kimori claimed that the Nakuru County government, led by the Governor, Susan Kihika, has neglected its primary duty of serving the residents of the county.
Kimori urged the commission to guide them as they start a signature-collecting process to see the suspension of the county government.
Kimori noted that the county government has failed to address key issues raised by the residents of the county, which include the closure of the War Memorial Hospital, a case of a missing child linked to a county mortuary, and frequent pestering of young people by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
Additionally, Kimori claimed that the county has been lagging in development despite the county receiving allocations from the national government, which he labeled as 'betrayal.'
"Sadly, the Assembly has failed terribly in this regard. Their silence, inaction, and apparent collusion with the Governor's office betray the public trust," he said.
"The very communities that voted in these leaders remain neglected; roads are impassable, hospitals are understaffed or shut, youth are unemployed, and essential services are crumbling. This is a betrayal of devolution, and it must not be allowed to continue," he added.
Kimori has further castigated Governor Kihika for her unexplained prolonged absence, an issue he claims the Members of the County Assembly have been reluctant to deal with. Kimori has said that this contravenes their constitutional mandate.
"On March 20, 2025, the people of Nakuru, through a formal petition by Eng. Kimori Evans, demanded that the County Assembly summon the Governor or representative to explain her prolonged absence from duty, clarify who has been running the county in her absence, and confirm whether any lawful transfer of power occurred," he added.
"To date, the County Assembly has failed to act on this petition. This is a direct violation of their constitutional mandate."
In recent months, Governor Kihika has been the center of discussion in Nakuru County over her lengthy maternity leave.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, March 26, Nakuru County Senator Tabitha Karanja slammed the governor over the alleged one-year maternity leave, stressing that her absence has led to major projects and other pending matters remaining unattended.
According to the Senator, the governor did not follow the correct procedure to inform the people of Nakuru of her pregnancy and impending leave before her departure.
"In short, the county government is at a standstill as we speak. Our other major concern is that there were serious issues left behind, including, among others, the reopening of the War Memorial Hospital, which the court ordered to be reopened last year, yet up to now, it has not been opened," she said.
Kihika has indicated plans to return to the country mid this month.
