Hundreds of disgruntled Bomet residents took to the streets for the second time Thursday to voice their frustration over alleged poor services and a slow rollout of development programs by the county.
The protesters who included MCAs marched to the county offices in an attempt to draw attention to their concerns targeting Governor Hillary Barchok.
Carrying placards and tree branches, the demonstrators expressed their dissatisfaction with what they perceived as empty promises from the governor.
They accused Barchok of poor leadership alleging a lack of capacity to drive development in the county.
“We are not satisfied at all with the way he is running the county and he has even proven that he cannot lead from the promises he made,” he said.
The planned presentation of their petition was, however, thwarted when they discovered the governor was away in Nairobi.
Addressing the press in Nairobi, Barchok pointed an accusing finger at some politicians for sponsoring the demos.
"Today in the morning some Sh3 million was wired from Nairobi for this protest and their main agenda is 2032 succession politics," he said.
Noting it is aimed at destabilizing his government, the county boss said he will not be distracted and will continue to deliver on his mandates.
"I want the people of Bomet to know that I will deliver and I will disappoint this group of individuals. Give us time to work, and, these demonstrations will come to an end whether they like it or not," said Barchok.
He also dismissed claims that ECDE teachers are yet to be paid, and that Bomet town was dirty, as baseless.
According to the governor, his administration has made key strides since it took over which include confirming the teachers on permanent terms.
"There is no teacher who is yet to get their salary, we are using one payroll. When I get my salary they also receive theirs," he stated.
Tensions escalated at some point during the protests as some youth armed with stones and crude weapons, attempted to block the march towards the county offices.
Police were forced to intervene and disperse the armed individuals by lobbying tear gas canisters and allowing the peaceful protesters to continue their march.
Five of the armed youth were subsequently arrested for interfering with the peaceful demonstration.
Bomet Central Deputy Sub-County Police Commander Bashir Ali commended the majority of protesters for exercising restraint and engaging peacefully.
He assured that action would be taken against the arrested individuals as a deterrent to those seeking to disrupt peaceful protests.
Addressing the press, the protestors led by Bildad Cheruiyot and MCAs Victor Rop, Vincent Katam, Ernest Kipkemoi, and Dennis Ngeno highlighted issues such as dilapidated roads and persistent water shortages within Bomet town.
Cheruiyot expressed concern about the potential for a cholera outbreak due to residents resorting to drawing water directly from River Nyangores amid water scarcity.
MCAs who joined the protest for the first time voiced their dissatisfaction claiming the governor had compromised the oversight role of the assembly, leaving it ineffective.
Rop, a youth representative, criticized the assembly's failure to play its role in holding the executive accountable, with allegations of harassment and coercion against members who attempted to question financial misappropriation.
“The governor has muzzled the assembly and compromised the oversight role and if possible future protests should be directed at the county assembly and the speaker,” Rop said.
The MCAs also turned their criticism towards the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), accusing it of turning a blind eye to the misuse of public funds in the county.