Protests broke out in Kericho on Sunday, calling out the county government over delayed rescue operations for a four-year-old boy who drowned in the Chemosit River.
The residents, who blocked the Litein-Kericho Highway, accused Governor Eric Muttai of negligence, as the boy had gone underwater four days ago and the governor had yet to mobilise any resources to help.
This is despite Governor Mutai reportedly hailing from the same sub-county.
They are now demanding that the county immediately intervene to ensure the boy's parents receive the much-needed closure by recovering their son's body.
According to witnesses, the boy slipped into the river when he bent over to wash his feet in the river.
"His mother is struggling, and as Kericho residents, we call on the governor, the MP, and the MCA to send a rescue team to ensure that by the end of today, we have recovered the body of the boy," one lamented.
"Since the boy drowned, we have had so many challenges. We have a county, but they have not sent divers; we are the ones doing it," another added.
As for drivers who frequent the route, they felt that the protests had messed with their schedule and thus called on the government to act fast and quell the protests.
"They have closed the roads, so we have been affected, so we are wondering why the government is not acting," a driver said.
"We have enough security personnel, but none of them have shown up here, so we do not know what to do. We are wondering whether to go back to Kisii because we have not received any help so far
This is not the first time the residents of the region have staged protests in the area, resulting in them closing up a road and rendering it impassable.
On September 17, residents of Kipsitet in Keri barricaded the Kisumu–Kericho highway following a road accident that claimed the lives of 6 people and left 4 others nursing injuries.
