Cleaners dump garbage in Kendu Bay town to protest delayed salaries

Cleaners dumped garbage in Kendu Bay Town to demand salary arrears on July 7, 2026. [James Omoro, Standard]

Police and residents of Kendu Bay town clashed as cleaners protested against delayed pay.

The chaos paralysed business in the town on Tuesday morning.

The cleaners dumped garbage in various parts of the town on Monday and Tuesday to express their dissatisfaction with delayed pay.

Police intervened to contain the chaos and arrested a man suspected of being the ringleader in dumping the garbage.

However, the man attempted to resist the arrest and was backed by residents, saying the cleaners were demanding their rights.

Police shot in the air and lobbed teargas canisters to disperse the residents.

Nobody was injured in the fracas.

Cleaners who spoke to journalists blamed the Homa Bay County government for their woes.

The situation in Kendu Bay Town after cleaners dumped garbage on the road on July 7, 2026. [James Omoro, Standard]

The cleaners said the contractor who recruited them had not paid their salaries for 12 months after the county government failed to meet the end of the bargain.

“The county government has failed to explain the reasons for our pay delay, although we have not been paid for many months,” said Moses Owili, cleaner.

The cleaners were angered after the county government hired another group of cleaners on casual basis.

George Akal said the cleaners gave the county government an ultimatum of three days to pay them, failure to which they would paralyse businesses in Kendu Bay market.

“What we want is our pay arrears and nothing else,” Akal said.

The market chairperson Sarah Adhiambo said the cleaners’ grievances should be addressed urgently for normalcy to return to the town.

“This issue is affecting business in this town adversely. It should be addressed quickly,” Adhiambo said.

Homa Bay Water and Evironment CECM John Agili attributed the problem to normal pending bills.

Dr Agili admitted that the county had not paid the contractor who hired the cleaners.

“Like every government has pending bills, the contractor who hired the cleaners has not been paid. We have engaged the Department of Finance to handle their issue,” he said.

He said the county government recruited new casual labourers to clean the town.

“We have recruited casual workers to clean the town as a remedy to keep the town clean,” he added.