Kisii: Protests over skewed recruitment of workers at affordable housing site
Restive villagers at Ekerubo in Masaba South have, for the past one(1) week, protested over skewed recruitments at the local government funded affordable housing project.
Pleas to the officers in charge at the Ekerubo Housing Project to address the problem remained unaddressed, they told journalists.
Mr George Ratemo, one of the protesters, said the project is heavily manned by non-locals as youths from the surrounding area villages continue to suffer from lack of jobs.
"You go to the entrance and you get greeted by a person from other ethnic communities. We are not against them getting jobs, but we are disheartened when local youths are locked out," Mr Ratemo told journalists on Thursday.
He said neither the local Ward Rep Wycliff Siocha nor area MP Daniel Manduku have been of help.
“This is actually why we are here demanding that the President addresses our plight,” he stated.
Ms Mary Kemunto--a parent--on her side, said one of her daughters who had gone to look for a job at the construction site was turned away as more others were recruited from elsewhere.
"The site is patronized by people from far and who do work that does not require any expertise. We want those in charge to take this complaint serious," Ms Kemunto stated.
Unless the issues are addressed, the residents said, they are going to return to the site and conduct weekly protests.
Mr Tom Omboto said the protests are just a warning.
"Today was just a warning... More bigger protests are coming.... They either address our issues or make it ungovernable," added Tom Omboto.
Efforts to reach the officers in charge were unfruitful by the time of going to the press.
