Members of the public have expressed their disappointment at leaders in the build-up to Meru Building Bridges Initiatives (BBI) rally that was held at Kinoru Stadium in Meru County on Saturday, February 29, 2020.
In a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, passengers in a bus were lamenting that they were given only Ksh 500 to attend the meeting. They alleged that they had been promised more to attend the rally.
The passengers claimed that they had been ferried from Nyandaua, Murang'a and Tharaka Nithi Counties.
"What is Ksh 500? Let the bus turn around and take us back. Have we been forced to go from Ol Kalou to Meru by force?" one of the passengers lamented, demanding the driver to take them back.
Several reports have emerged alleging that delegates being ferried to attend the meeting had raised concerns over the amount of money they were paid. A number lamented that they had been promised between Ksh 1,000 to Ksh 10,000 but were only paid Ksh 500.
"What I have heard is that the money was pocketed by regional commissioners, county commanders, local MPs all the way down to the chiefs," Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria informed Kenyans.co.ke.
"What happened to the Ksh 5,000 to Ksh 10,000 given per person depending on where they were coming from? Watu wapewe haki yao (Let the people enjoy their right)," Dennis Itumbi posted on Facebook.
Irate groups of Kenyans showed off the Ksh500 notes they were offered, expressing their disappointment. Some of them stated they were better off going about their daily hustles.
In distress, one man narrated that he had he had paid Ksh 300 from Chuka to Meru and was left with Ksh 200, noting it was not enough to take him back home.
Speaking during a meeting at Kirubia Stadium in Tharaka-Nithi County on Friday, February 28, governors Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka-Nithi), Kiraitu Murungi (Meru) and Martin Wambora (Embu) warned that they would not entertain any form of hooliganism during the BBI rally.
“We’re aware that there plans to hire hundreds of bodaboda riders in Tharaka-Nithi, Laikipia and Isiolo counties to storm the Saturday rally. The perpetrators should know that we are prepared to counter them,” Njuki had stated.
The governors asked bodaboda riders to shun any leader who offered to pay them to cause chaos.
With the BBI meeting set to collect views from the greater Mt Kenya region, it was expected that members of the public from the respective counties grace the meeting.
