We’re tired of fights, voters tell Governor Alfred Mutua and Senator Johnstone Muthama

Machakos senator Johnstone muthama during a press conference at capital hill on 4/11/15 [PHOTO/BEVERLYNE MUSILI/STANDARD]

As 2015 comes to a close, residents say they expect less bickering between Governor Alfred Mutua and Senator Johnstone Muthama.

Locals said they were generally unhappy with the frequent squabbles between Dr Mutua and Mr Muthama, which they said had slowed down development in the county.

Those The Standard interviewed cited "the never-ending turf wars" between the two leaders as the single greatest obstacle to development.

"What we expect is service delivery, and each leader will be held squarely responsible for his obligation, for which he was voted into office," said Timothy Muli, a registered voter in Kangundo Constituency.

Mr Muli criticised Mutua for giving "false hope" to residents, particularly on the promise that each household would get piped water by 2017.

"What we have seen most is a lot of publicity over the project, but nothing much is going on towards that end," he said.

Another voter, David Mutie, blamed Muthama for "opposing everything" that Mutua did.

"The reason we have lagged behind is because Muthama has been working with some rogue officers in Mutua's administration with the aim of bringing the governor down," he claimed.

In Machakos Town, another voter, Victor Mutua, said there was still hope for both Mutua and Muthama to strike a working relationship.

"I believe the leaders can still agree if they want to, for the sake of development. But that will take honest goodwill," he noted.

In Masinga, which is Mutua's deputy Bernard Kiala's backyard, resident Jacinta Musyoki said the fallout between Mutua and Kiala had split the "unity of purpose" between supporters of the two.