Start of Makueni County governor Prof Kivutha Kibwana trouble with MCAs

By ONESMUS NZIOKA

He made a name in the 90s as a fierce fighter for multi-party democracy and change in the country’s governance.

He even endured beatings from the Kanu government just to ensure the change he and others yearned for came to being. He has published several books touching on democracy and good governance.

Prof Kivutha Kibwana, the embattled Makueni County governor cut an image of an exemplary leader ensuring him a soft landing in the March 4 General Election as the first governor.

Residents had no doubt this was the man to set the basis for a greater Makueni, courtesy of his wealth of knowledge in Constitutional Law and understanding of the devolution process.

Since his election however, Kibwana has struggled to put the county leadership in order and has of late appeared to be walking a tight path with signs that he was about to give up.

In less than seven months in office, Kibwana has declared his intentions to quit while at the same time the county representatives have initiated a process to impeach him on grounds of incompetence, inability to offer concrete leadership and misuse of funds by his government.

“We have moved a motion to impeach the governor who has been uncooperative and allowed misuse of funds as well as inciting the public against the MCAs with intention to undermine the Assembly,” said Mavindini ward representative Martin Mutuku.

Appear unable

Wote ward representative Sammy Maseka who moved the censor the motion termed the governor as an activist who has refused to let go the civil society activism in his blood to assume his new role as the leader.

The governor and MCAs appear unable to agree on anything especially concerning the county finances and the power each camp holds over the other.

Trouble between the governor and MCAs began when the County Assembly passed an amended supplementary budget late last month, allocating the Assembly Sh975 million for operations and maintenance.

Even though the Assembly budget has since been revised to Sh624 million, the MCAs are ready to settle for Sh601 million while the governor wants the Assembly allocated Sh554 million.

Nasty twist

 Initially, Kibwana’s government had allocated Sh484 million. Things took a nasty twist when the governor, members of his Executive, Speaker, Chairman of House Committees and the Controller of Budget went for negotiations concerning the budget, agreeing to cap it at Sh624 million.

Some of those who attended the meeting told The Counties how when everyone had agreed on the amount, Kibwana stormed out of the room only for him to return midway and announce his disapproval.

This appears to have strained the already sour relationship between the governor and the MCAs who are now blaming him of being a hardliner and a dictator who ‘thinks he is still an activist’.

They also accuse him of brewing a war between them and the public by inciting the public to attack them.

“The governor has been going to local vernacular radio stations and inciting the public against us. We are now living in danger,” said Martin Matuku, MCA for Mavindini ward.

Kibwana on the other hand is accusing the MCAs of being insensitive to the county’s development saying his negotiations with them have reached a dead end.

Dead end

“My negotiations have reached a dead end. I have realised I cannot effectively respond to what I perceive to be the County Assembly’s insensitivity to the people’s development agenda,” said Kibwana.

The altercation between the governor and the MCAs has often taken a political twist, with Kibwana accusing wiper county reps who are the majority of trying to undermine his leadership.

Kibwana has also accused the Assembly Speaker, Stephen Ngelu, elected on a URP ticket of conniving with the MCAs to undermine him with intent to portray him as a failure. This, Ngelu has denied.

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who appears to enjoy a cozy relationship with Kibwana has on various occasions warned the MCAs to stop behaving like the former councilors warning them of dire consequences if they continue to frustrate Kibwana.

Kalonzo particularly warned the Assembly Majority Leader Francis Mutuku saying the war he is leading against the governor is personal and does not reflect the interests of the party.

Worried residents appear to be buying Kibwana’s idea, with sharp criticism on their county reps for what many are terming as ravenous appetite for the county’s cash.  Denis, a resident observed: “ I am of the opinion that MCAs are of low level academic achievement, meaning Kibwana will find it hard to push even the simplest sense in their minds. All they want is to enrich themselves as we, the electorate watch.”