County workers avoid work on Saba Saba day.

SIAYA, KENYA: More than 2,000 county workers downed their tools following directive by Siaya county governor Cornel Rasanga that Monday be a public holiday. 

Mr Rasanga had ordered that nobody will be allowed in office on Monday following directive from the Coalition of Reforms and Democracy (CORD) leader Raila Odinga that the day be made a public holiday.  

But it was business as usual for the civil servants working for the national government as operations and services were offered to the residents even though on a low pace. 

At the county offices, normal operations were halted as chief officers and workers including deputy governor Wilson Onyango boycotted work.  

The governor’s office remained closed as visitors and a number of vehicles that normally troops in were nowhere on site.  

“We cannot afford to stay out of work as civil servants at the National government because we may be sacked,” said one of the workers working at the county commissioner’s office. 

Rasanga said that as the Chief Executive Officer he has full authority to call for a holiday in his county. 

He added that he had taken the move to give the residents an opportunity to join other Kenyans in marking the Saba Saba day.  

The governor noted that the people of Siaya just as other Kenyans have a right to join in the agenda of calling for change concerning the contentious issues in the country. 

Rasanga directed his deputy Wilson Onyango to ensure that no worker including those of National government report to duty until the rally is over.