Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika when she appeared before the Senate Health Committee at Parliament on May 17, 2024, over the closure of Nakuru War Memorial Hospital and transfer of patients to Nakuru provincial General Hospital[Boniface Okendo, Standard]
Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has clarified that she is on maternity leave after social media erupted about her whereabouts in the past three months.
Her absence from administrative duties sparked anger among residents of Nakuru who went to social media asking questions about how she was running the county remotely.
The concerns erupted when a poster titled ‘Missing Person’ was circulated on social media platforms in the last 48 hours.
“Missing Person; Governor Susan Kihika; 51 years old; last seen three months ago boarding a plane to the USA. She has not returned to Kenya since,” read the poster in part.
The designed poster humorously urged anyone who had seen Kihika to inform her that the USA was not Nakuru County or call the county government.
The poster attracted reactions from Kenyans who claimed that Kihika had relocated to the USA while others claimed that she had been running the county government from abroad.
Others even joked that she might have been abducted.
Following the outrage, Kihika, in a press release through her Chief of Staff Peter Ketyenya, clarified that she was on maternity leave.
“Following numerous calls that I have received regarding my absence, I want to first of all assure the people of Nakuru that I am well and currently on maternity leave,” said Kihika.
She thanked the Nakuru residents for their concerns and assured them that services had not been paralysed because of her absence.
“I wholeheartedly assure them that service delivery in our Great County is proceeding as envisaged under the able guidance of the team led by Deputy Governor David Kones,” stated Kihika.
She added that she had no doubts that Kones would lead Nakuru people well, in her absence.
However, Kihika said that she will be resuming official duties at the end of her leave set to end within the next few weeks.
Kihika’s absence was noticed during the festive season in 2024.
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Among the events was one attended by her husband Sam Mburu.
Last year Kihika’s absence was felt in Mburu’s festive events, sparking speculations among Nakuru residents.
“Since her election in 2022, it has become a norm for the governor and her husband to host festive gatherings at their Rongai home, sharing gifts with families and neighbors,” said one of the concerned residents.
In 2022 and 2023, the couple shared photographs depicting celebrations during the festive season, something that was not seen last year.
Notably, Kihika’s last post on twitter (X) was her congratulatory messages to former Governor Lee Kinyanjui, who was yesterday sworn in as the Cabinet Secretary Investment, Trade and Industry.
“Congratulations to my predecessor, on your nomination as the Cabinet Secretary for Investment, Trade, and Industry. I am confident that you will utilize your networks and expertise to champion growth and investment in our nation…,” read part of her congratulatory messages.
However, Kihika has been active on Facebook, posting various projects done in January. However, she appears nowhere in the photos.
Her last post on Facebook was on January 15, posting how the county was distributing chairs, language activity books for pre-primary 1 and 2 and teachers’ guidebooks.
“We covered Njoro, Naivasha, and Gilgil Sub-Counties, focusing on enhancing the quality of education and equipping our ECDE teachers to better nurture young minds,” she posted.
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