A meeting organised by Marakwet Community Professionals to discuss the sacking of David Kimaiyo as Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) Chairperson and rising insecurity cases ended prematurely as blame games dominated the five-hour closed door meeting held in Eldoret.
The professionals convened a meeting that had among other leaders Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and former Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) Director John Kibosia in attendance.
They strongly decried mistreatment by the Jubilee government in terms of appointments yet they massively voted for the coalition.
“The Jubilee government has sidelined us in appointments to the public institutions compared to other communities that massively voted for them as we did. It is sad that the few appointments that were made are also revoked leaving us in the cold,” said Richard Chemweno.
The situation came into place after President Uhuru Kenyatta last week revoked Kimaiyo’s appointment and replaced him with former Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) Chief General Julius Karangi, a move that offended the community.
Chemweno said many people from the Marakwet community applied for ambassadorial and head of parastatal positions but the jubilee leadership did not consider them for appointment.
“We fully voted for the Jubilee government in 2013 giving more than 90 per cent but it has not given a hand back as it has done with other communities that supported it. The President should consider redeployment of of Kimaiyo in government or we will reconsider supporting this Jubilee regime," Chemweno stated.
The professionals had accused Senator Murkomen of failing to defend the needs of the community despite his close ties with Deputy President William Ruto, saying he was fond of skipping meetings convened by the community's professionals.
This was prior to the official commencement of the meeting that members of press were locked out and asked to wait for meeting resolutions.
The professionals went ahead to ask the national government to implement measures that will ensure sustainability of peace along the Elgeyo Marakwet and Baringo counties where there have been escalating feuds between the Marakwet and Pokot communities.
“We want the government to put up a permanent security agency along the volatile border to ensure sustainable peace and work out a compensation plan for the victims of the attacks besides providing other humanitarian aid,” said Johnson Kibor a member of the association.
Senator Murkomen however declined to address the press after the meeting, saying resolutions would be made public by the professionals' representatives.