Kiambu County Women Representative Gathoni Wamuchomba is a leader under siege in her own backyard.
Her push for better pay even before she was sworn into office seemingly left a bad taste in the mouth of her supporters.
“I want to be paid well, I worked, I fought it out to be a Member of Parliament, I campaigned and used my resources…I want to be paid well. I want to be honored for who I am and what I have been able to achieve,” she said during an interview with NTV.
But during a recent Jubilee campaign tour to Thika, Ruiru and Githurai 45 areas; Wamuchomba was forced to take a humble pie after attempts to address a crowd at Githurai was met with chants of “Hatutaki kuongeleshwa na Gathoni wa mishahara”(We don’t want to be addressed by Gathoni famed for salaries) according to Daily Nation.
Deputy President William Ruto watched in disbelief as all this unfolded but he could not do anything much.
The Women Rep had earlier apologized and told her supporters she would gracefully accept whatever pay she is given by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
“I remorseful apologize for the pain I may have caused. I would also like to offer my sincerest apologies to my party patron and President, my fellow Kiambu constituents, my staff, my family, and especially to all Kenyans who were offended by my comments,” read her apology.
However, her first public appearance on Sunday showed that her apology has not wiped off the anger her supporters have.
In the August 8 polls, she garnered 922,829 votes.
By Pharis Kinyua. He’s an online Journalist and an author for Jamhuri News