Kilifi residents have taken to the streets to express their frustration with Governor Gideon Mung’aro’s continuous cabinet reshuffles, accusing him of disrupting county operations and slowing down development. The demonstrations, which took place along major roads, saw locals carrying green leaves and blowing whistles as they demanded an end to what they described as “chaotic” governance.
The protesters claimed that Governor Mung’aro’s decision to frequently reshuffle his County Executive Committee (CEC) members and chief officers without consultation has led to confusion, poor service delivery, and delayed infrastructural projects.
“The governor has been transferring officials from positions they understand to new roles they know nothing about,” one resident lamented. “It’s not the first time this has happened, and we are tired. We want stability in our county government.”
Another protester expressed disappointment, saying that while they still support the governor, the people around him are misleading him. “We love our governor, but those surrounding him are cartels benefiting from these changes while residents suffer,” she said.
The protests come days after Governor Mung’aro announced a fresh round of reshuffles on October 22, transferring Finance and Economic Planning CEC Yaye Shosi to the Department of Gender, Sports, Youth, Social Services, and Disaster Management. Philip Kitsao was appointed acting Finance CEC, while Ruth Masha was moved from the Gender docket to Roads.
The reshuffle also affected several Chief Officers, including Samuel Mkutano, who moved from Resource Mobilisation to Devolution and Civic Engagement, and Christine Mwaka, who was transferred from Blue Economy to Livestock and Public Works.
Despite defending his decisions as necessary for efficiency, residents argue that the frequent changes are politically motivated and are crippling county progress. The protests underline growing public dissatisfaction with Mung’aro’s leadership style, as locals demand consistency and transparency in county governance.
