Kivutha Kibwana will bounce back and easily vanquish Makueni’s discredited MCAs

A deadly storm has claimed Governor Kivutha Kibwana of Makueni. The tsunami pits Prof Kibwana against an ethically-challenged pack of MCAs. Prof Kibwana is himself no saint, and he would be the first to say so. That’s because saints don’t exist on earth. This is clear – he’s been surrounded by moral dwarfs have no other reason to be in office than to get their sticky fingers on the people’s money. But the professor of law hasn’t let it happen. That’s where greed has met integrity. Mark my words — what eventually happens in Makueni won’t stay in Makueni. It will define the relationship between thieving MCAs and good governors elsewhere. Makueni is doing every a county a favour. It’s a proving ground for devolution.

The last time I checked, none of the Makueni MCAs could hold a candle to Prof Kibwana. A veteran of the struggle for democracy, Prof Kibwana is as close as it gets to being a people’s champion. His story in the struggle for change has been peerless. It’s a great pity that Makueni MCAs don’t appreciate that Prof Kibwana is one of the key fathers of Kenya’s Constitution. None of the Makueni MCAs are fit to tie his shoes. I don’t say this to disparage the ravenous lot. Nyet — I say so because it’s the plain truth. Rather than work with Governor Kibwana — a national leader — they have instead impeached him.

Many a county in this country would be honoured to have a governor of Prof Kibwana’s stature and integrity. But the Makueni MCAs don’t — and can’t — see how truly privileged they are to have had Prof Kibwana as the county’s leader. He elevated the county and by dint of his presence gave Makueni national standing.

There was no other comparable leader. Not Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr whose role in this sad saga depresses the heart. Senator Kilonzo is a neophyte in politics. He shouldn’t have been caught up in shenanigans that are anti-people. He inherited the seat of a father who had turned against impunity and become a champion of the hoi polloi. He mustn’t abuse the privilege of his inheritance.

Then there is one Stephen Ngelu, a man whose name I had never heard before. I am told Mr Ngelu is the Speaker of the Makueni County Assembly. I dug deeper and found that he was elected on an URP ticket. That’s not a crime, but it raises eyebrows when a URP Assembly Speaker raises a sword against a Governor who supports devolution and the Cord referendum. One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to read between the lines.

It’s clear to all and sundry that DP William Ruto — the URP boss — is leaving no stone unturned to wreak havoc against governors demanding more autonomy and cash from Nairobi. Impeaching Governor Kibwana is meant to teach others a hard lesson.

Mr Ngelu and his fellow refusenik MCAs are folks driven by petty motives. They have produced nary a shred of evidence to prove that Professor Kibwana has been anything but the people’s steward. In fact, on the fateful day that shots rang out, Mr Ngelu and his band of ne’re-do-well MCAs were planning a coup d’etat against Governor Kibwana in secret.

 

The Governor rightly stormed the meeting to stop an illicit kangaroo court. No Governor would have stood by when a blatant illegality was in the offing. I applauded Governor Kibwana’s courage in attempting to stop Mr Ngelu and his fellow putschists. It takes the silence of good men for evil to triumph.

I didn’t, however, believe that Prof Kibwana couldn’t have coexisted with Mr Ngelu and the nihilist MCAs. Something had to give. I think the Makueni County government must be dissolved and a new election called. Everyone must seek a fresh mandate from the people to get rid of the toxic MCAs.

If the MCAs believe they are right — and that the people of Makueni trust them over Governor Kibwana — then let the people decide. I guarantee this — in a revote, Prof Kibwana will wipe the floor clean with the MCAs. Every observer I have spoken with believes that Prof Kibwana and his supporters will decimate Mr Ngelu and the MCAs hands down. Let’s go to the polls and resolve this.

Finally, let me warn leaders at the centre of government to stop orchestrating dysfunction in the counties. National leaders should stop speaking from both sides of their mouths.

Devolution is the most cogent device for building a true nation from disparate groups. Folks in the former NFD celebrated their first paved road in 50 years of independence several weeks ago. It’s no accident that the road was built upon the enactment of devolution. Those against devolution are against the nation.

Let’s keenly watch Makueni.