Police lob teargas at a handful of Governor Hillary Barchok’s supporters who attempted to block demonstrators marching to his office to present a memorandum over lack of basic services on February 22.
Political confrontations fuelled by premature 2027 campaigns for governorship have rocked several counties, threatening services.
Some of the leaders embroiled in bitter infighting rode to power on the same party tickets, but can no longer see eye-to-eye over disagreements linked to alleged mismanagement of county resources as well as political ambitions by those eyeing the top county job.
Some of the disagreements have snowballed into bloody confrontations, resulting in physical injuries, and even death.
Counties in the eye of heightened political storm include Kiambu, Migori, Kisii, Meru, Bomet, Kericho, Nandi, Trans Nzoia and Nakuru.
Kiambu County is the latest to witness a bloody confrontation where a man was shot dead and others injured following a violent confrontation pitting two rival camps.
Clash with MPs
One group is perceived to be allied to Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi and the other is reported to be leaning towards Kikuyu Member of Parliament and National Assembly Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a, Gabriel Kagombe (Gatundu South) and Elijah Njoroge (Gatundu North).
Mr Kagombe was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of being involved in the shooting incident. The MP is expected in court on Tuesday.
Ms Ng’ang’a has declared interest in running from the governor’s seat in the next election and has been critical of Mr Wamatangi’s administration. The two have had running political wrangles culminating into a violent clash.
Recently, the two opposing camps clashed over the ownership of Kiganjo market in Kamenu Ward valued at Sh55 million. Kamenu Ward Representative Peter Mburu, an ally of the governor, is said to have mobilised his supporters and allocated them space in the market. He insists the market project was done the county government.
But Ms Ng’ang’a is adamant that the project is an initiative of the national government.
“It is deeply regrettable that, despite successful lobbying for Kiganjo market and extensive public involvement, the residents of Kiganjo are being denied their rightful share due to poor leadership. How long will Governor Wamatangi, through his associates, Kamenu MCA, and liaison officers, continue to undermine the national government’s projects?” Asked Ms Ng’ang’a in a social media post.
“I urge the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to act swiftly and probe the events that occurred in Kiganjo…it is time to prioritise the welfare of the people; incitement and political confrontations must become a thing of the past,” she added.
But Mr Wamatangi has blamed some MPs for the wrangles in Kiambu. He accused the leaders of attempting to seize public land surrendered by food processing company Del Monte in Thika.
Del Monte land
“Del Monte had ceded 100 acres whose title was not handed over to the county. When I became the governor, the county was allocated 690 more acres. Cartels, including politicians, started crafting a way to grab the land but I refused. I told them to write letters indicating the development projects they intend to undertake on the public land, that is when they started fighting me,” claimed the governor.
In April, the venue for a football tournament organised by Ms Ng’ang’a had to be changed after unknown people emptied heaps of manure at the Thika Municipal Stadium. Ms Ng’ang’a and Mr Wamatangi later engaged in a bitter exchange over the incident.
In Migori, Governor Ochilo Ayacko and MPs Mark Nyamita (Uriri) and Peter Masara (Suna West) have been locked in bitter political exchanges. Mr Nyamita is reported to be eyeing the governorship.
The confrontation forced Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga to convene a crisis meeting to try and reconcile the leaders. Mr Masara attended the May 8 Central Committee meeting and was made to shake hands with the governor, but Mr Nyamita skipped the forum.
ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, in a statement, blamed State machinery for instigating violence in opposition-run counties.
“What has emerged from the briefing is that there is a clear and calculated plan to use State power to destabilise ODM-run counties and constituencies in partnership with rogue members of the party, some subject to ongoing disciplinary proceedings, who have since pledged allegiance to the regime in power,” the statement said.
Last month, two people were injured in Rapogi village, Migori County, during a clash pitting supporters of Governor Ayacko and Mr Nyamita at a funeral. Police had to fire teargas at mourners to calm the situation.
Mr Nyamita, in an interview with Sunday Nation, blamed the governor for the violence. He claimed that no development is happening in Migori as a result of a disorganised leadership.
‘Cover-up scheme’
“What we have are people who mobilise for violence against those critical of them. We have to be tolerant of each other for the county to realise its potential,” said Mr Nyamita.
He claimed that the meeting called by Mr Odinga was purely a scheme to cover up for the incompetence of the governor.
“No one has declared interest in the governor’s seat during 2027 election. We are just doing our job as elected leaders. The party should question the leadership of the county on what it is not doing right instead of asking us to go slow on him,” said the MP.
Mr Odinga last year appealed to ODM elected leaders to shun premature campaigns and deliver to the electorate.
“We have four more years to go, and this politicking is bringing a lot of tension. People are campaigning to become MCAs, and the elected MCAs are campaigning to be MPs. They have hardly served the people to qualify for these positions,” Mr Odinga said last November.
"We have people elected as MPs who are campaigning to be governors. You have hardly served the people as a Member of Parliament, yet you have already formed a committee for you to campaign to be a governor," he said.
In Kisumu, Deputy Governor Dr Mathew Owili, Senator Professor Tom Ojienda and MPs Aduma Owuor (Nyakach) as well as Joshua Oron (Kisumu Central) have been accused of engaging in early campaigns to succeed Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, who is doing his second and final term.
In Kisii, Governor Simba Arati and South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro have been engaged in a vicious power struggle.
Mr Arati has claimed that those seeking to destabilise his leadership are well-known individuals whose agenda is to make him lose in the next election by painting him as violent.
“My opponents have criminalised every noble initiative that I initiate, including my efforts to empower boda boda riders,” he said recently.
But Mr Osoro has insisted that it is the governor to blame for the chaos in the county. He has threatened to sue Mr Arati for linking him to the chaos that erupted in a meeting at Nyakembene market in which four people were injured.
In Nandi, the working relationship between Governor Stephen Sang and Senator Samson Cherargei has not been rosy. Mr Cherargei has accused the county boss of failing to deliver on his manifesto. In turn, Mr Sang’ says the senator is engaging sideshows. He claimed that the senator was busy hopping from one talk show to the other without any knowledge on what is happening on the ground.
Mr Cherargei told Sunday Nation that the issues he is having with the governor were purely about services. He alleged that the governor cannot account for resources allocated to the county.
“There is poor performance in Nandi County, from poor roads, no drugs in hospitals, poor governance, corruption and ghost workers and violation of the law especially in procurement for flagship projects that are not yet completed. He cannot account for the money,” said Mr Cherargei
Barchok’s headache
In Bomet, Governor Hillary Barchok is involved in a contest with Senator Hillary Sigei which has sucked in a section of MCAs. Prof Barchok has accused Mr Sigei of waging a smear campaign against his administration.
“The senator has been fuelling divisions in the county with the aim of painting my administration in bad light. I can assure you that he will not succeed and we will face him head on,” the county boss told a public rally at Bomet Green Stadium in September last year.
Mr Sigei said that he is only doing his oversight job.
In Nakuru, the honeymoon between Governor Susan Kihika and Senator Tabitha Karanja seems to be over following the controversial takeover of the Nakuru War Memorial Hospital by the county government late last month. The two campaigned as a team under the UDA banner.
Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika (left) and Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja.
Ms Karanja has accused the governor of walking back on pledges she made to voters during the campaigns.
In Trans Nzoia, there is a lull in public spat between Governor George Natembeya and his deputy Philomena Kapkory. But tension still remains, with the two not seeing eye-to-eye in the running of the affairs of the county.
Combined photos of Governor George Natembeya and his deputy Philomena Kapkory.
In an earlier interview with the Nation, Ms Kapkory said their falling-out was because Mr Natembeya allegedly reneged on a pre-election pact, including sharing of county government slots.
The county boss has, however, dismissed the claims by his deputy, accusing her of abandoning her role as Deputy Governor to operate from Nairobi.
