Bomet youth suspend scheduled demos due to KCSE exams

Bomet County residents have agreed to temporarily halt planned protests over alleged embezzlement of county funds.

Organizers say the suspension is to avoid disruption of the ongoing KCSE exams.

“The public should be aware that a decision has been made to temporarily postpone peaceful protests against corrupt individuals in the province,” said Diaz Kimutai, a youth leader.

Speaking to the press in the town of Bomet, Kimutai said they made the decision after consulting with education officials, teachers unions, clergy, school principals and parent associations.

Kimutai called for patience among residents and said they will soon announce a new day for the protests.

He also dispelled rumors that the youth may have been compromised by the provincial leadership to stop the demonstrations.

“This decision has been taken to respect the ongoing national examinations, we do not want the national exercise to be disrupted in any way,” he said.

The national demonstrations were planned for November 6.

The province has been on the scene for alleged embezzlement of public funds through fraudulent payments by senior officials.

The province has reportedly lost Sh1.2 billion.

The matter is currently before the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

EACC agents last month raided the homes and offices of senior officials in the province over an alleged corruption scandal.

Plainclothes officers arrived at the officials’ homes and seized documents before heading to the district headquarters for another search.

On Thursday, Kimutai added that they will remain focused in the war against corruption, especially in the local decentralized unit.

“We applaud the EACC for the steps taken to date in relation to the numerous subpoenas issued to date,” he said.

He also called for the immediate resignation of those negatively cited by the County Assembly, EACC and other government agencies.

For her part, Vitaline Cherotich, another youth leader, urged DCI to investigate current accounts and forgeries in some provincial departments.

“We call on the public to come out strongly in large numbers at the coming protests because it is the civil authority to demand what belongs to them,” she noted.

Last week, at least eight senior officials from the province were arrested by EACC officials.

They recorded their statements about the alleged loss of public money.