Ngilu accuses Wiper's leaders of frustration

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka with Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu and other leaders during a fundraiser for Gai Mixed Secondary School in Mwingi North last Saturday. [Paul Mutua, Standard]

Governor Charity Ngilu has accused politicians allied to Wiper party of trying to frustrate her.

Mrs Ngilu claimed that some Wiper MPs and MCAs were practising partisan politics in the assembly and conspiring to block her memorandum on various legislations, including the county emergency fund bill 2018 and the county integrated development plan for 2018/2022.

“Let it be clear that if the mistrust continues, I will retreat and seek other remedies. For one, I will bypass the leaders, particularly the MCAs, and reach out directly to the electorate to tell them who is derailing development in their respective wards and constituencies,” said Ngilu.

She was speaking at Kabati in Kitui West when she launched the second polio vaccination campaign in the county at the weekend.

Warning that she was getting impatient with the lawmakers, Ngilu told the MCAs they were not doing her any favours by approving budgetary allocations, adding that prioritising the funds would ensure that the county’s development agenda was implemented to change residents' lives.

Vested interests

The governor said there was confusion in the county assembly because some Wiper MCAs wanted to derail her service delivery agenda geared to transforming the livelihoods of residents.

She, however, said she would not be cowed, intimidated or scared by disgruntled and dishonest leaders whose intention was to blackmail and arm-twist her into submitting to their vested interests to suit their personal and political egos.

“You know me, don’t you? It is either the leaders work with me in leading a government that is geared to help the county to rise from poverty, neglect and hopelessness and write a new chapter in people’s lives, or I raise the red flag and move forward with only those who can accommodate me,” the governor said.

And speaking at Gai Mixed Secondary School in Mwingi North in the presence of Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Ngilu asked the former vice president to tame his 'antagonising party brigade' against witch-hunts and a malicious campaign aimed at denting her five-pillar development plan focused on water and food security, good healthcare for all, education and youth empowerment, women empowerment and wealth creation.

Ngilu said she had rallied her Narc party supporters to back the National Super Alliance’s presidential bid in last year’s General Election in which Kalonzo was the running mate, and added that she expected respect from the Wiper leaders.  

The governor also urged Mwingi North MP Paul Nzengu and his Mwingi West counterpart, Charles Nguna, to join in her resolve to uplift the socio-economic welfare of residents.

She said her administration would roll out subsidised universal health insurance in which each household would pay only Sh1, 000 annually to get access to free medical care.

Healthcare services

“This is another success story in the county that includes the overhauling of healthcare services and the administration has entered into partnerships with NGOs and bilateral organisations to attain quality universal healthcare,” said Ngilu.

She said her administration had engaged partners to develop the county health insurance cover, which she would launch on August 21. The governor said the launch would be the culmination of her promise of subsidised healthcare, the second pillar in her manifesto.