Ntimama storms out of meeting in Naivasha

By Antony Gitonga

Cabinet minister William Ole Ntimama was forced to leave a meeting in a huff in Olkaria Naivasha after he was heckled.

This was the second time Ntimama had been heckled by a group of Maasai cattle herders in the area.

The incident took place barely a week after an earlier meeting he had convened in the same area also ended prematurely.

Carrying placards and clubs the crowd booed and heckled the minister, forcing his guards to usher him back into his official car that the left the venue at high speed.

The minister had convened the meeting to elect area leaders and 21 representatives to the Lake Naivasha Taskforce.

The community is divided into two groups — one led by Maenga ole Kisotu that accuses the minister of meddling in Naivasha affairs. The other group supports the minister.

Unperturbed by the standoff, the minister arrived at the meeting amid tight security. His plea to either party to participate in the elections was rejected.

It was at this juncture that the Kisotu team boycotted the elections, accusing the minister of ferrying people from Narok and Kajiado to the area.

Ntimama later presided over the elections in which his supporters elected their representatives. Mr Rantoine ole Ngamasai and

Andrew oles Koisamou were elected their leaders.

But Kisotu dismissed the elections as a sham and wondered what interest Ntimama had in the area.

"The minister’s action has split the community and caused unnecessary tension," he said.

His sentiments were echoed by Mr John Sironi, who appealed to Ntimama to respect the wishes of Naivasha people.

On his part, Ntimama termed the elections as fair and democratic. He lashed out at the faction that had boycotted the exercise.

He appealed to flower farmers and the geothermal company to work with the new committee for the development of the area.