Nairobi News

Members of Embu County Assembly on Saturday rescinded a decision to hold nude protests, after Devolution  and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru stepped aside.

The Ward reps had recently threatened to rally women to strip and march in the streets of Nairobi if Ms Waiguru was forced to resign.

Speaker Kariuki Mate said he held consultations with the 33 MCAs and convinced them not to hold the demonstrations since Ms Waiguru had voluntarily stepped aside and was not sacked or forced out of office.

He said the move to hold a nationwide nude protest outside Harambee House and Parliament buildings as promised by the MCAs would embarrass the county.

The declaration by a section of MCAs, led by Ms Shunnem Ngira, drew a round of condemnation and public ridicule even as residents of Embu town remained anxious to see if their MCAs would hold the demonstrations.

NAKED REPRESENTATIVES

While parents had been cautioned against letting their children set foot in the town center in anticipation of the planned nude protest, some residents were keen to catch a glimpse of their naked representatives.

On Saturday, Mr Mate took to Twitter a few minutes after Ms Waiguru announced her resigned, to inform members of public that the nude protests had been called off.

“I have spoken to my MCAs. They’ve promised not to strip naked since Waiguru has voluntarily stepped aside,” he tweeted.

Mr Mate said he made the intervention because the MCAs were so passionate about Ms Waiguru that he feared they would be eager to show their solidarity.

Last week, 12 female Ward Reps vowed to parade themselves naked along Embu streets if Ms Waiguru was forced to resign.

The declaration also won the support of their 21 male counterparts after Majority Leader Andrew Musakwa said the men would also join in the nude protest.

Embu residents have been waiting with bated breath to see if the Ward Representatives would make good their threats to protest against perceived harassment of the embattled Cabinet Secretary.