Zipporah Gathoni, 63, the chairperson of Iriene Mazingira women group surveys mature trees at Nteere gardens in Meru town with teary eyes.
She swallows hard and struggles to recount how the group of elderly women were contracted by the defunct Meru Municipal Council to plant trees within Meru town some 11 years ago but never paid for the work.
The women meet at Nteere gardens every Thursday to review their tree planting activities. They reminisce about the good old days and lament over their long-lost pending bill.
Walking in Meru town today, you will not fail to notice the many aged trees in the town.
A plantation forest near the Meru Law courts and trees that dot the streets of Meru town are a testament of the hard work of members of Iriene Mazingira women group.
According to Joseph Mwithimbu, a former Meru Municipal Council works officer, the group was contracted for beautification of Meru town.
He confirms that the women, whom he knew since he had allocated them space for a tree nursery, were never paid despite several demands and demonstrations.
“At around 2012, the women were contracted to plant trees in Meru town and riparian areas of Kanyuru stream. They planted most of the trees in Meru town today. After their payment was delayed, the matter was discussed in the council and a committee was formed to confirm if the work was done. However, the payment was never done,” Mwithimbu says.
He claimed that after several demonstrations by the members of the group, a senior council official vowed to ensure the money is never paid.
“At one time, I asked the municipal clerk why he couldn’t pay the women group and he said his hands were tied. He could not pay unless the council approved the expense,” he says.
In October 2012, NTV reported that Mazingira group members had protested against the Municipal Council over the unpaid dues.
While Meru town residents find peace and comfort under the shades of mature trees planted by the women group, Gathoni and her colleagues get tormented at their sight.
They are bitter – despite laboring in the rains to plant about 20,000 seedlings, they have never been paid a coin.
“We were contracted by the Meru municipal council for a town beautification project. The old and young women worked for one week planting indigenous trees. We were to be paid Sh20 per seedling and Sh200 per person per day. The total amount came to Sh700,000,” Gathoni recounted.
She says that despite delivering an invoice to the municipal council and their officers confirming the work done, they were never paid.
“We were told that we would be paid in two weeks. When we inquired, we were told they needed to confirm the number of trees planted. An officer was sent and we counted the trees for three days. We had planted more than they had requested. Even after the tedious counting of seedlings, we were never paid,” she laments.
For the last 11 years, Gathoni and 44 other women – some are now deceased – remain hopeful that the Meru County government will pay them.
Gathoni says they have knocked the doors of former governor Peter Munya and Kiraitu Murungi in vain.
“Before the local governments ended, we had held several protests demanding for our money. We were tear gassed and beaten by council askaris after camping at their offices for two days. My colleagues have died, some due to depression and injuries, while waiting,” Gathoni explains.
She says the first county government administration had promised to pay the money but it never came to be.
“We presented our documents to the county government in 2014 but we were not paid. We presented the same copies to the Kiraitu Murungi administration but did not get the money,” the women group leader says.
According to North Imenti MP Rahim Dawood, who served as Municipality councilor at the time, it became difficult to pursue the women group’s claim because of lack of documents.
“I am aware of the group and their protests over arrears for tree planting activities. I tried to assist them but I was told they cannot be paid without documents on the work they did,” Mr Dawood said.
Mwithimbu says the women deserve to be paid. Meru County government still owes more than Sh7 million in pending bills emanating from the local governments 10 years ago.
Iriene Mazingira women group honed its tree planting skills under the Green Belt Movement in 2003 and is credited for afforestation of 50 acres of Imenti forest and greening the environs of Meru town.
