Clergy offer to mediate Machakos budget standoff

Lower Eastern clergy when they paid a courtesy call on Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti at her office on September 11, 2026. [John Muia, Standard]

The clergy from the lower Eastern region have added their voice to the escalating stand-off over the Machakos County Appropriation Bill, 2026 offering to mediate between the warring parties.

Addressing the Press in Machakos after paying a courtesy call on Governor Wavinya Ndeti, the clerics under the umbrella of United Clergy Alliance (UCA) expressed concern that the county could soon grid to a halt if the budget standoff persists.

Led by Bishop Titus Masika of Christian Impact Mission, the prelates said their desire was to see a compromise in the stand-off between the county executive and the county assembly that will pave the way for the absorption of development budget and delivery of essential services.

“We felt the issues involve other players. We will continue consulting so that the stalemate in the county can be resolved. The consultation continues,” Bishop Masika said.

Governor Wavinya welcomed the intervention, noting that faith leaders play a critical role in fostering peace, unity and development.

“The church remains a strong pillar of hope, guidance and unity in our society. My administration will remain open to working closely with religious leaders valuing their prayers, wisdom and counsel as we build a better Machakos for our people,” she said.

The development comes amid hardline stance taken by both the executive and the county assembly over alleged mutilation of the 2026/27 county budget totaling to Sh17.8 billion.

About 11 days ago, the governor rejected amendments made by Ward Representatives to the Machakos County Appropriation Bill, 2026, terming them illegal and against the interests of the people.

“Had this legislation been allowed to pass in its altered state, it would have systematically dismantled essential public services, undermined our financial stability, and compromised the rights of our citizens to realize the priorities explicitly captured in our Annual Development Plan (ADP) and County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP),” Wavinya said in a statement released to the press.

The governor argued that the unlawful reallocations directly crippled key service delivery sectors, including active road contracts, solid waste management, the Integrated County Revenue Management System, social empowerment programs, decentralised sub-county administration, and the complete defunding of the Machakos Youth Service (MYS).

Wavinya said besides submitting the formal memorandum for reconsideration of the budget, she unsuccessfully sought a consultative meeting with the leadership of the County Assembly to resolve these contentious matters.

“Regrettably, in a letter dated September 1, 2026, the Speaker of the County Assembly declined to facilitate this requested engagement. This refusal dashed opportunities for constructive dialogue and fueled the threat posed to service delivery across our county,” the governor said.