Photo:Communication Unit
A section of Makueni County Assembly (MCAs) members led by County Assembly Speaker Stephen Ngelu have castigated Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr and two MPs for allegedly interfering with the County Government operations.
Speaker Ngelu and MCAs Bernard Musau and Francis Mutuku have told off the senator and Mbooni MP Kisoi Munyao and his Kaiti counterpart Richard Makenga for what they termed as efforts by the legislators to derail development in the county through witch-hunt and infighting.
The leaders who had accompanied Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana at a fundraiser in Makindu in a rare show of unity termed the allegations by the parliamentarians that the County Government has misused public funds as revealed by the Auditor General Edward Ouko as malicious and false.
They in turn accused the senator and the MPs of fueling the wrangling between the assembly and the Governor and asked them to keep off county matters.
The speaker in a shocking revelation singled out the senator as the one behind the chaos that rocked the county last year in September in which six people were shot and injured after Kibwana and his supporters stormed a leaders meeting which he had not been invited at the County Assembly.
“They started the fight at the assembly and later took off leaving me alone and am tired of fighting said,” Ngelu.
The speaker said that the County Assembly was willing to unite and work together with the governor and retaliated that they would not allow anyone to sow seeds of discord among them.
Ngelu sentiments were echoed by the two MCAs who said the two arms of government were only interested in developing the county for the sake of the residents.
“We only want to work together as a government and deliver our mandate,” said MCA Musau.
The leaders however challenged the governor to sack corrupt and inept officers in his government.
“Let Kibwana send packing those officers culpable of corruption as they are tainting the image of his government,” said Mutuku.
On his part, Governor Kibwana said time for politicking and wrangling was over and called on fellow leaders to concentrate on development.
He added that he had no qualms with those firing salvos at him saying that he had done his best as the governor.
“Those accusing me of corruption and other ills I leave them to God,” said Kibwana.
Since the audit report was released detailing possible embezzlement of county funds MPs Kisoi and Makenga have been on the forefront asking the governor to take responsibility and explain to the residents how the money was possibly pilfered under his watch while the senator has called for the prosecution of those culpable.
The sentiments by the three youthful legislators have however rubbed Kibwana in the wrong way .The governor has vehemently denied the corruption allegations and in a recent Facebook book post vented his anger and accused the MPs of wanting to derail development after he brokered a truce with the MCAs.
In a weird twist of events, the speaker who is now Kibwana’s foe – turned – friend and a section of MCAs have launched scathing attacks on the parliamentarians. The MCAs who for the last two years have engaged in endless battles with the governor mainly on budgeted related issues seems to have a change of heart and are now rallying behind him.
At the climax of the wrangling last year, the senator and six MPs convened a meeting to discuss the county affairs after the squabbling between the MCAs and Kibwana escalated bringing the county operations to a near halt.
The meeting held at the County Assembly however turned into bloody chaos after the governor stormed the meeting. What followed was a petition by more than 50,000 residents to have the county dissolved owing to the persistent wrangling between the two arms of the government. The Mohammed Nyaoga- led commission looking into the possible dissolution of the county has completed most of its work and it is no doubt that the county leaders and the residents are waiting the commission’s verdict with abated breath.
Could the possible outcome of the Nyaoga commission the reason behind the new found friendship between the governor and his rivals? Time will tell.
