Boda boda operators in Embu Town demonstrated on Thursday, protesting what they claim is the misappropriation of Ksh.10 million by the county government.
The protest comes after Governor Cecily Mbarire, accompanied by county officials, appeared before the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’, where she acknowledged the funds were allocated for a boda boda summit.
However, the riders vehemently refuted the assertion, stating they had no involvement in the supposed summit and did not benefit from these funds. They maintained that all boda boda operator activities were financed through personal contributions, not public resources.
A group of upset riders accused the Governor of deflecting responsibility by associating them with the contested funds. They cautioned against using boda boda operators as scapegoats in instances of suspected public fund mismanagement.
‘We collected funds ourselves. We cannot be implicated in matters we know nothing about,’ stated a protester. ‘The Governor must be accountable and not drag boda boda riders into public financial issues.’
Additionally, the operators criticized Embu Senator Alexander Mundigi and the Embu County Assembly, alleging they neglected their supervisory duties in protecting public funds.
The riders issued a bold 48-hour ultimatum to Governor Mbarire, requiring her to publicly exonerate the boda boda operators from any wrongdoing.
They also demanded the Governor reveal information about the purported boda boda SACCO, including its location and operations, which they assert is unfamiliar to the majority of Embu riders.
The demonstrators warned that failure to address their demands within the specified period would result in additional measures.
At the time of reporting, the Embu County Government had not yet responded to the riders’ demands.