Angry crowd disrupts first Kisumu CDB meeting

A county development board meeting was Monday disrupted when angry residents stormed the venue.

Operations at the county headquarters in Kisumu Town, were brought to a standstill as the rowdy group jammed the corridors and booed leaders among them MPs and some county officials.

The residents, who had read media reports of the planned meeting, moved to the premises when they saw the leaders arriving for the meeting.

Among the leaders were Kisumu Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o who was the convenor, Governor Jack Ranguma and MPs Olago Aluoch (Kisumu West), Aduma Owuor (Nyakach), Rose Nyamunga (Kisumu County) and James Nyikal (Seme).

Also present were deputy Governor Ruth Odinga, Leader of Majority Samuel Ong’ow and Leader of Minority Edwine Anayo.

“Some of them have failed to run CDF properly; we don’t want people who are only bent on holding our governors hostage,” one of the residents, Mr Austine Omondi, told journalists.

DISMISSED CRITICS

But talking to reporters before leading the team to another undisclosed venue, Prof Nyong’o dismissed his critics, saying Monday’s meeting had nothing to do with the CDB.

He said regional leaders had agreed to discuss development in the forum.

“Counties were given very little money for development; unless we coordinate, effective use of these resources will elude us.”

Mr Ranguma said the CDB meeting had been put off after the High Court ruled that such functions should not be held until a case filed by governors was heard and determined.

“That does not stop us from sharing (ideas) as local leaders of Kisumu County,” he said.