Bungoma Deputy Governor Janepher Mbatiany The deputy governor of Bungoma County, Rev Janepher Mbatiany, has been accused of defaulting on a loan she took from the Chaamtayet Women Group in Mt Elgon Sub County before ascending to the reigns of power.
Members of the women's group claim that they have been unable to access their savings since Mbatiany stopped servicing her loan, and her recent actions have only made matters worse.
According to the women's group, Mbatiany has instructed her security detail not to allow the group members into her office and has also stopped picking up their calls.
This has left the members feeling frustrated and disheartened, as they have been unable to get any response from the deputy governor. "Rev Mbatiany needs to repay the loan she took from our group before she became the deputy governor," said one of the members of the Chaamtayet Women Group. "We are suffering, and we cannot access our savings. We are pleading with Governor Kenneth Lusaka to implore her to pay us back so that we can move on with our lives." Mbatiany's irresponsibility has sparked outrage among women's groups in Bungoma, who have called for an immediate investigation into the matter.
Her failure to honour the loan obligations raises serious questions about her commitment to upholding the rights of women in the county and her suitability for the powerful position of deputy governor.
Efforts to reach Mbatiany for comment on the matter were unsuccessful.
However, if the allegations are true, then it is clear that Mbatiany has a lot of explaining to do, and her failure to do so will only serve to further erode the trust that the people of Bungoma County have placed in her.