A man will pay Sh50,000 or serve six months in jail for obstructing census officials from carrying out their duties.
Abraham Cheruiyot appeared before senior principal magistrate Richard Odenyo facing charges of obstructing Sandra Chepchumba in the course of her duties on August 25 at Cheptiret Centre in Kesses, Uasin Gishu County.
Mr Cheruiyot, who was arrested on Sunday, pleaded guilty.
“You are, therefore, convicted on your own plea. You will pay a fine of Sh50,000 or spend six months in prison,” the magistrate ruled.
The prosecution told the court that Ms Chepchumba had gone to her place of work on Sunday morning in the company of a village elder.
She is said to have gone to one homestead where she found two women and began taking down their information as they answered a series of questions.
In the process of doing this, Cheruiyot is said to have stormed the house and ordered the women not to answer any more questions.
He was thereafter arrested.
Cultist church
In Vihiga County, a man who hid in a tree to avoid being counted has been arrested.
Elias Asige, 68, was arrested on Tuesday afternoon and taken to Serem Police Station for questioning. The incident happened at Itumbi village, Givogi sub-location.
Vihiga County Commissioner Susan Waweru confirmed that the man climbed a tree in an attempt to hide from census officials.
“Banja location chief Harun Mbeere led a team of security officers who arrested the suspect before taking him to Serem Police Station for interrogation,” Ms Waweru said.
Mr Mbeere said the suspect had subscribed to what he described as a cultist church based in Eldoret town in Uasin Gishu County and has on several occasions in the past refused to participate in Government projects and programmes, often citing his church doctrines.
Hamisi Police Commander Joan Chebii said Mr Asige will be charged with failure to provide information to census officials.
In Mtwapa, Kilifi County, area chief Rose Kadenge was forced to flee from rowdy census officials who had staged protests over delayed pay.
Hundreds of enumerators and supervisors downed their tools to stage a demo in Mtwapa town to present their grievances.
“If you do not work, there is no payment. Go back to work. Please go back to your working areas,” ’she told the demonstrators.
In Naivasha, a cleric with the Akorino faith and his wife have been arrested after blocking enumerators from counting them. They locked themselves in their houses in Gatamaiyu village and defied orders from police to open their door.
