Nakuru residents petition County Assembly over Governor Susan Kihika's prolonged absence

Nakuru residents have petitioned the Nakuru County Assembly expressing concern over the prolonged absence of Governor Susan Kihika.

According to the petitioner, engineer Evans Kimori, Nakuru County is facing a crisis that requires decisive leadership.

"The governor has been conspicuously absent, leaving residents to fend for themselves without clear guidance or intervention from the county government," reads part of the petition.

It notes that the county government's loud silence on matters that require critical leadership has not gone unnoticed, especially in cases of public interest such as the disappearance of local fisherman Brian Odhiambo. 

"Brian Odhiambo disappeared a month ago after allegedly being arrested by KWS officials. Despite the seriousness of this case, which points to possible extrajudicial killings and abductions, the governor has not made any public statement or taken any action to ensure accountability," says the engineer.

"Residents face deteriorating health, education and infrastructure services due to the leadership vacuum. The governor's communications team frequently posts Bible verses and greetings on social media, but these do not address the pressing governance issues affecting Nakuru residents," says the engineer.

Not everyone agreed with Mr Kimori's sentiments about the missing governor.

Robert Atancha, a Nakuru resident, says the governor is well within her rights to be absent as it has been communicated earlier that she is on maternity leave and that the county is still running well under the leadership of the deputy governor and the executive.

"There is too much politicking going on. Let us wait for the 2027 elections. For now, we are concentrating on county development issues," he says.

Joshua Wanjala, a resident of Kaptembwa, says the whole issue of questioning the governor's whereabouts is being sponsored by some of her political rivals who are just playing politics.

"This is just a ploy to smear the governor's name in public and as supporters of the governor, we will not allow it," he notes.

On March 19, Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama urged leaders and Nakuru residents to stop playing politics with the issue, insisting that the governor was on a six-month leave of absence.

"She is on leave; it was her decision to choose where she wanted to give birth. Let's agree here: if you have a problem that you want the governor's office to address and you don't get help, come to me or Nakuru East MP David Gikaria and we will sort it out," he told a gathering in Shabaab.

The issue of Governor Susan Kihika's absence has been a topic of conversation in recent months. Recently, photos of her in the US surfaced online.