Residents of Kisumu on Tuesday held a demonstration to protest the removal of City Manager Doris Ombara.
The residents who waved placards, were accompanied by Kisumu County Assembly women MCAs and marched through the streets up to Governor Jack Ranguma’s office.
They termed as suspect the deployment of Ombara to head Lake Front Development and Urban Renewal saying it is a ploy to get rid of her.
Nyaori Nyang, who led the demonstrators, said the Governor has no respect for women in leadership.
Nyang noted that the county boss has failed to consult and is running the county like his own property.
“We are demanding that the Governor reinstates Ombara as the city manager. We are also giving him seven days to constitute City Board failure to which we will be back on the streets,” he said.
Kaloleni/Shauri Moyo MCA Prisca Misachi claimed Ombara is being sacrificed because of the Sh4 billion for the Kisumu Urban Project.
Misachi said Ombara is being deployed to a non-existent department.
“The Lake Front project collapsed long time ago. Swedish International Development Agency that was to fund the project had pulled out. Why now throw Ombara to a department that had died and buried,” she said.
The demonstrators demanded an audience with the Governor; however, he was out of office, and her deputy Ruth Odinga addressed them.
Ruth, on her part, denied any knowledge of sacking or deployment of the City Manager, and pleaded with the demonstrators to give her time to investigate.
She said she will not allow women who are in leadership to be subjected to discriminatory acts.
“I am a defender of women but I want to tell you that I am not aware of the sacking or rather deployment of Ombara to another department. Give me time to look into the matter,” she said.
Ranguma has maintained that he did not sack the City Manager but promoted her to another docket due to her hard work.