Madaraka Day celebrations in Trans-Nzoia County took a sour turn on Sunday, June 1, after attendees staged a mass walkout just as President William Ruto's speech was about to be read.
The event was in itself marred with irregularities, as Governor George Natembeya and his deputy Philomena Kapkory were conspicuously absent, with the county boss citing the graft case against him as one of the reasons he did not grace the event, as is the norm.
Natembeya was represented by Health CEC Sam Ojwang, who was left baffled after residents openly disapproved of attempts by County Commissioner Gideon Oyagi to read President Ruto's speech.
In footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, a crowd which was present at the Lessos Primary School grounds for the event rose up in unison as Oyagi was preparing to address them, leaving a handful of members of the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) and local officials at the venue.
It remains unclear why the residents chose not to listen to the president's speech, although the government has recently fallen out of favour with Trans Nzoia locals, particularly in light of Governor Natembeya’s recent troubles.
Earlier in May, Natembeya was in trouble with the EACC over alleged procurement irregularities, misuse of office, bribery, and fraudulent acquisition of public funds totalling Ksh1.4 billion.
The raid in his residence in the Milimani area in Kitale was dramatic, as area residents and the governor's staunch supporters attempted to quell EACC officers by vandalising their vehicles, among other questionable actions.
Since then, Natembeya has not relented in his criticism of the government, with his first public speech after being released from custody ending in an accusation that the President is attempting to silence his opposition to certain government projects.
While speaking in Kiminini moments before Madaraka Day celebrations, Natembeya also claimed another reason for his absence from the event was the lack of meaningful authority in his role.
“At the moment, I hold no position of power, so why should I attend celebrations of authority?” the governor posed.
He added, “The worsening poverty is a new form of colonialism. We have been deceiving ourselves, and I will consider in the future whether or not to attend such celebrations.”
Ruto's speech was one of the longest in the history of Madaraka Day, and it contained several notable announcements directly affecting Kenyans. One of the biggest ones was the announcement by the President that he would champion a constitutional reform to allow Kenyans access to up to Ksh5 million in low-interest loans for mortgages.
