Angling for 2027 elective positions has pitted State officials against the sitting Governors with the former presenting themselves to the masses as the people’s watchdog against the excesses of the county bosses.
The State officials who include Cabinet Secretaries and heads of parastatals with political ambitions have not been sparing every available opportunity to hit at the governors accusing them of mismanagement and running down devolved functions, and hence presenting themselves as the saviors of the electorate come 2027.
Among the Cabinet Secretaries who have been dragged in their respective county local politics include Mithika Linturi (Agriculture), Susan Nakhumicha (Health) while the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) chairperson Irungu Nyakera has declared himself as the official opposition leader in Muranga against the leadership of Governor Irungu Kangata.
The government officials join the long queue of the elected leaders who have signaled plans to oust the governors, a move that has seen major focus of the elected leaders abandon their duties for political positioning and angling denying the electorate the much-needed development.
Cs Nakhumicha, whose Ministry has been dogged by the health crisis has been at loggerheads with Transzoia governor George Natembeya who was elected on a Democratic Action Party-Kenya (Dap-K) party with the latter accusing her of ‘crisscrossing in burial ceremonies’ in the county as opposed to delivering in her ailing Ministry.
Prior to her appointment, Nakhumicha had vied for the political seat in 2022 taking the third position after garnering 32,497, after Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP-K)’s Phanice Khatundi who got 65,641 and UDA’s Lilian Chebet Siyoi who emerged the winner after garnering 102,488 votes with claims that it was her party leader who fronted her name for the Cabinet Secretary post.
Last month, Nakhumicha found herself in the middle of chaos at a burial of Goseta areas in Kwanza Sub-County after the supporters of Natembeya clashed with those of her party leader National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula and fired a warning that she would table hooliganism problems before the Cabinet for debate.
“I’m going to table this incident before the cabinet to ensure those responsible are held accountable,” Nakhumicha told the residents after calm was restored.
Nakhumicha who has been making inroads in the county has also been accusing the governors of the dire health of the county and lack of medicine claiming if the governor did not address the situation she would personally ‘come here myself and do something for these people.
It is important that leaders become responsible, and the government has given the governors county funds on time. The president announced that the government has released Sh 32 billion to counties and that is to allow them to deliver services to Kenyans.” she said in Matisi Ward
In his rebuttal, Natembeya called out Nakhumicha for overstepping her office’s authority, telling her to steer clear from politicking and focus on administering her ministerial duties.
He further argued that the Health CS has misplaced priorities and should instead work on solving the more critical problems being encountered within the health sector.
“We have a serious problem in the Ministry of Health because there are many problems which ought to have already been solved and they are still stuck,” he said speaking in Kitale town on Saturday.
He added: “She said that she is able to build a hospital in Matisi because she represents the health sector, so why Matisi, or is Matisi the entire nation? She would have gone to Turkana, West Pokot but she should know that the law does not allow a CS to come directly and install a facility of a devolved function i. Even if she builds a facility here, she must speak to me. The moment you become a state officer you put politics aside.” He said.
In Meru County, Governor Kawira Mwangaza who has been at loggerheads with the county leaders have constantly accused Agriculture Cs of her woes with her latest move of joining the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) seen as a strategy to calm the situation as Linturi, who supported her impeachment could be compelled by his party leaders to ceasefire.
On October 23 last year Linturi went on record to support Mwangaza’s impeachment by describing her as ‘incompetent’.
“The decision taken by the MCAs is the right one because we cannot run away from reality. As the minister for agriculture, I am required to work with counties, but this cannot happen in Meru,” Linturi said immediately after the governor’s impeachment.
He went further and wrote a protest letter to the Meru devolved unit over claims that she (the governor) commissioned the market built by the ministry and painted it in county colors before it was released by the contractor.
“It is unfortunate that instead of the Cs concentrating on his mandate to achieve the government agenda in Agriculture, he is embroiled in local affairs and inciting locals and Members of the County Assembly against my leadership,” the governor said.
Linturi’s appointment into the Ministry came after he was trounced by Mwangaza, a former county Women Representative who viewed as an independent candidate and garnered 209,148 votes, against Linturi who polled 183, 859 votes and Kiraitu Murungi (the former governor) of the Mbus party who trailed with 110, 814 votes.
In Muranga, Nyakera who unsuccessfully vied for the governorship on the Farmers Party of Kenya, where he is the party leader, has accused Kangata of treating Kenyans ‘to a PR campaign’ about the healthcare system as he readies himself of a political duel in 2027.
Asked whether there was conflict between his position and his self-proclaimed ‘face of opposition in Muranga’ Nyakera said’ I currently hold two titles. One as chairman for Kemsa and the other as official opposition for Muranga County the two roles are unrelated, separate and intended for each other and should not be merged.’
He went ahead to claim that ‘When Kangata loses in 2027, he will have five things to blame, poor state of healthcare in the county,m water wars, having MCAS as his advisors, indecisiveness, giving farmers a deaf ear.’
Nyakera has been making inroads to the county popularizing his gubernatorial bid.
Kangata on his part, said he was well aware of his competitors’ existence since he knew he would not seek his reelection unopposed as that was not democratic but said he was not afraid as ‘the ultimate decider will be the people- our employers’ even as he defended his programs to that had been dismissed by Nyakera.
“Out of the various elective posts that I have held, governor is one of the few where one has an opportunity to effect real changes in people. Therefore, I am really preoccupied with how Kangatacare, automation of health, Inua Mkulima Programme, community projects, school feeding programs are working. Be assured we are always scouting for the next big idea on how to help Murang’a among the people, including our potential competition. Hence, we follow their criticism very keenly to see ways we can improve,” he said
He added ‘Every person out there can help Murang’a in one way or another. My friend Nyakera being chair of Kemsa can definitely be of use to have our medicine available in all our medical facilities because competition is not enmity neither should our patients suffer because of our competition.’
Governance expert Dr Charles Nganga, a lecturer at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology argued that the emergence of rivals against the County governors was a healthy affair ‘because County Assemblies have been reduced to the county executive extensions. But urged the anti-graft body to also keep an eye on the State officials not to embezzle Kenyans’ tax to pursue their interests.
“It’s a healthy affair because the governors will not dare misuse their allocations because someone is following them with a view of exposing their looting, but the Ethics and anti-Corruption Commission must also keep the State officials in their watch list,” Nganga noted.