• Murkomen was among 21 CSs the President fired last week. He also sent the Attorney General home.
• On Wednesday, police in Eldoret stopped a group of youth who were demonstrating in support of Murkomen and the government.
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI
A section of youth in North Rift are pleading with President William Ruto to reinstate former Roads CS Kipchumba Murkomen when he reconstitutes his Cabinet.
Murkomen was among 21 CSs the President fired last week. He also sent the Attorney General home.
The dismissal of the CSs was as a result of the pressure from anti-government protests.
Ruto has since gazetted Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi as the acting CS for all ministries.
But the group of youths from Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi and Uasin Gishu have argued that Murkomen played a critical role in the election of Ruto. They also said he has done a good job in the ministry for the last two years.
On Wednesday, police in Eldoret stopped a group of youth who were demonstrating in support of Murkomen and the government.
The young people, who were marching with placards along Kisumu Road heading to the town centre, were stopped near Brookside Dairy.
Police, led by OCPD Edward Masibo, ordered the youth to turn back because they had not notified authorities about the protests as required.
However, the leaders of the youth were allowed to address a brief meeting before dispersing.
Youth leader William Cherais said they were fully in support of Murkomen’s reappointment to the Cabinet.
“We urge the President to reappoint Murkomen back to the Cabinet because he has done a good job,” he said.
The youth supported the President's claim the countrywide youth protests had been sponsored by international NGOs, including Ford Foundation.
“We know there are those undermining the President without any reason but we will stand with him so he succeeds in his plans for this country," a youth leader said.
After a few speeches by the youth leaders, the group dispersed.
Community leaders in Eldoret, led by Benjamin Leting, also came out to support Murkomen and Ruto.
Leting said they want the President to reconstitute his Cabinet and get back to work of reviving the economy.
Since the President dissolved the Cabinet, Murkomen and his former colleagues have faced a barrage of accusations for alleged underperformance.
A few days ago, some youth cut a cake in Eldoret town to celebrate the downfall of Murkomen.
The youth said they were doing so to thank President Ruto for dismissing his Cabinet and also welcome Murkomen back home.
The team of youth led by Kelvin Kipleting who is the youth president in Uasin Gishu and Humphrey Omondi termed Murkomem a "letdown" to the President.
“Murkomen has been disparaging us the youth and behaving in an I don't care manner and we welcome him back to the ground,” Kipleting said.
He said Murkomen and other sacked CSs had failed to perform in their dockets and concentrated on selfish gains.
They said they were sorry for him and advised him to seek other jobs in the marketing sector.
“We now ask the President to appoint professionals and people who will be ready to serve Kenyans,” Omondi said.
Murkomen's critics have been accusing the former CS of arrogance and selfish show off, instead of focusing on his mandate.