Residents in Kilifi County have taken to the streets to protest what they describe as deteriorating service delivery caused by frequent and uncoordinated reshuffles within the county government.
The demonstrators, who marched along major roads carrying green twigs and blowing whistles, accused Governor Gideon Mung’aro of repeatedly transferring county officials into cabinet positions for which they are neither experienced nor qualified, allegedly without public consultation.
According to the residents, the constant leadership changes have disrupted service delivery and slowed down infrastructure and economic development across the county.
“The governor has been transferring people from their original positions to roles where they don’t even understand the work. This is not the first time. He is removing officials who know what they are doing, until when?” one protester lamented.
Another resident expressed concern over external influence in the county’s leadership decisions.
“We love our governor, but the people surrounding him, the cartels, we reject them because we are the ones suffering,” she said.
The protests follow a fresh cabinet reshuffle announced by Governor Mung’aro on Wednesday, October 22. In the changes, Finance and Economic Planning CEC Yaye Shosi was moved to the Department of Gender, Sports, Youth, Social Services, Special Programs, and Disaster Management. Philip Kitsao was appointed acting CEC for Finance, while Ruth Masha was transferred from the Gender docket to the Roads Department.
Several County Chief Officers were also reassigned, including Samuel Mkutano, who moved from Resource Mobilisation to Devolution and Civic Engagement, and Christine Mwaka, who was shifted from Blue Economy to Livestock and Public Works.
The reshuffles, which have become frequent during Mung’aro’s tenure, continue to spark concern among residents who say the constant changes are crippling essential county functions.
