YOUTHS IN BOMET COUNTY STRIKE AGAINST LEADERSHIP OF GOVERNOR BARCHOK
Youths have camped outside Bomet Governor Barchok’s office demanding his immediate resignation. This comes mere days after the Governor claimed that Bomet youths refrained from participating in past protests due to perceived overdevelopment in the region.
The scene outside the Governor’s office is one of fervent dissent, with young protesters occupying the main entrance, burning tires, and chanting vehemently, “Barchok Must Go.” What started as a peaceful demonstration to assert their rights quickly turned tense when allegations arose that Governor Hillary Barchok had dispatched outsiders, armed with machetes, to infiltrate and disrupt the protest.
“It was a peaceful protest until Governor Barchok decided to send in his goons from other counties to intimidate us,” said one protester defiantly. “But we are prepared for whatever comes our way.”
The grievances voiced by the Gen Z protesters are multifaceted, focusing on issues of corruption and accountability within Barchok’s administration. Many lamented the lack of adequate water supply in the county, attributing it to the alleged embezzlement of funds meant for essential projects like boreholes by corrupt county officials and their allies in the national government.
As tensions escalated throughout the morning, the county government responded by deploying police forces to contain the protesters. In an attempt to disperse the defiant crowd, police resorted to tear gas when the protesters refused to retreat.
The demand of the youth protesters remains unwavering: the immediate resignation of Governor Barchok and his officials.
