Kalonzo warns Wiper MCAs of political consequences over Machakos budget row

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti in Kithimani, Machakos County, on September 5, 2026. [John Muia, Standard]

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has dragged President William Ruto into the Machakos County budget stalemate and warned Wiper MCAs of ‘political consequences’ for sabotaging Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s development agenda.

Addressing a delegation of professionals and entrepreneurs who visited his Yatta farm for a political consultative meeting, Kalonzo said the Wiper party will take action against MCAs who have been working with ‘the enemy’ to frustrate budget implementation in Machakos county.

“If you are an MCA nominated or elected on Wiper Patriotic Front ticket and you are going against the party you must know the party will not even look at you twice. If you are nominated, you just have a few months to eat,” he said.

The Wiper leader claimed that President Ruto’s underhand manipulations were aimed at scuttling Governor Wavinya’s youth empowerment programme popularly known as Machakos Youth Service (MYS) whose entire budget was scrapped by MCAs.

Last week, Wavinya returned a memorandum on the Machakos County Appropriation Bill, 2026, citing illegalities and reduction of budget allocations to various pet projects.

Speaker Ann Kiusya, however, rejected the memorandum, terming it ‘inadmissible’, triggering a fierce political dispute and blame game between the Executive and the County Assembly.

“Governor Wavinya has a proper plan on the MYS where thousands of youth are being trained and prepared to apply skills for personal development and job creation which I personally witnessed. When they saw Wavinya is doing better empowerment than Ruto, they schemed to divert the budget,” said Kalonzo.

 “I am asking Governor Wavinya to remain firm. We are aware the Speaker has taken a leave of absence. She does not seem to understand how the law on the county accounting system works,” he added.

Kalonzo said if elected president in next year’s polls, his government will fast-track the implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (Nadco) report to ensure counties equitable share is increased from the current 15 per cent to a minimum of 35 per cent.

The Wiper leader claimed that President Ruto has been targeting governors allied to the opposition for sabotage and intimidation.

“We know yesterday Mr Ruto was trying to intimidate Governor Ole Lenku of Kajiado. We know those governors who have allegiance to their own political parties are being threatened,” he claimed.

The Wiper leader accused President Ruto of overtaxing Kenyans, saying that taxation must follow ability to pay and not mere desperation to collect taxes.

"There's an assault on the Kenyan taxpayer. The Kenyan taxpayer is under attack. A mama mboga, a boda boda rider, a teacher, a young graduate on their first pay slip are being asked to carry a load designed for someone else's comfort,” said Kalonzo.

Governor Wavinya steered clear of the county budget politics and called for meaningful economic empowerment of Kenyans through affordable financing.

“The Government must create an environment that allows the thriving of small businesses by availing affordable credit and reasonable terms of borrowing. The next government under Kalonzo will address the concerns facing Kenyans and restore growth with dignity,” she said.