I outdid other county leaders, says Governor Mutua

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua says he has outperformed all the other governors in development projects and service delivery to the people since the inception of devolution four years ago.

The Maendeleo Chap Chap (MCC) Party leader, who was speaking during the Machakos Gubernatorial debate on Sunday, July 16, took outlined what his administration has achieved under his tutelage, and called upon the residents to elect him in August so as to finalize on the projects he has started.

Dr. Mutua, who ditched the Wiper Party hardly three months after been elected in 2013, is facing a stiff competition from the party’s gubernatorial candidate Wavinya Ndeti who has since branded the governor ‘an illusionist’ because of his unrealistic ideas borrowed from the West.

“I want you to tell me a governor who has built five highways in his county just like in Machakos. I want to know a governor who has built a quality stadium in his county just like the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos. Tell me a governor who has dug more than 100 dams in this four-year-period if not Mutua?” said the governor.

ALTERNATIVE LEADERSHIP

Jubilee Party’s Lemi Muia acknowledged that the Mutua administration has tried to transform the county.

Nevertheless, the former Machakos Water Department Chief Officer is now gunning for his ex-boss’ job said what Mutua has done is not good enough, and promised to do things better and in a different way so that the people can enjoy the fruits of devolution.

“I resigned from my position because I did not agree with the governor’s leadership style. Once elected as the next governor, I will localize ideas and provide more people-driven policies that will in turn ensure that projects rolled out [serve Ukambani people].  It’s not enough to have an idea from Dubai and not interpret it in a Kenyan context,” said Mr Lemi Muia.

Muia promised to prioritize youth education by increasing the amount of bursary funds awarded to needy students in the county.

In a debate that was supposed to bring together all candidates seeking to unseat Dr. Mutua, Wiper Party’s Wavinya Ndeti and independent candidate, Mutua’s estranged Deputy Governor Bernard Kiala failed to attend.

Ms Wavinya, who represented Kathiani Constituency in Parliament from 2007-2013, has on numerous occasions tried to paint Governor Mutua as a mere public relations machine who shouts what he has done when in reality the people of Machakos are still suffering.

WIPER RIFT

In May 2017 during the party primaries exercise, Machakos Senator Johnston Muthama accused Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka of favouritism and micromanaging of party affairs, warning that the trend could lead to voter apathy.

He further claimed that  Kalonzo was standing in the way of democracy by meddling in the nominations, adding that the Wiper Party leader had fixed his preferred candidate, Wavinya Ndeti, in the party list.

Muthama had hoped that his choice, Bernard Kiala, would be given the party’s ticket to run for governor.

Kalonzo will be following the Machakos race keenly and will be hoping that Wavinya Ndeti floors Dr. Mutua, whose Maendeleo Chap Chap has endorsed the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Dr. Mutua’s win in August polls would deal a blow to the former vice president’s reputation as the region’s kingpin and possibly result in a paradigm shift as the governor has already announced that he will be running for presidency in 2022.