Voters now want President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve Makueni County

Business along Harambee Avenue in Nairobi came to a near standstill after hundreds of voters from Makueni County converged outside the President’s office to present a petition seeking dissolution of the County Government.

About 1,500 petitioners, travelled from the county yesterday and converged at the Heroes’ Corner, Uhuru Park, before they marched to Harambee House.

The petitioners’ spokesman Philip Munyuoki, told journalists at Uhuru Park that they feel betrayed by their elected leaders and now want President Uhuru Kenyatta to send the entire county government home.

“We feel our leaders whom we elected to serve us have let us down, and we are here to petition His Excellency the President to exercise his constitutional powers and begin the process of dissolving this county,” he said.

Mr Munyuoki said the people of Makueni can no longer stomach the endless wrangles pitting Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) and the Governor Kivutha Kibwana.

“Our county has lagged behind the rest in terms of development because of wars, which grow from bad to worse every day, and as voters we are prepared to go back to the ballot and elect fresh leadership,” he added.

In particular, the petitioners blamed the County Assembly for what they termed as ‘deliberate move’ to frustrate Prof Kibwana’s administration through threats of impeachment and blackmail.

“We want to tell the MCAs that we are tired of their selfishness and impunity, and they should now prepare to face the electorate,” said one voter who identified himself as John Solli.

This came a day after Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka met county leaders to foster unity.

A leaders’ meeting scheduled yesterday in Wote town was cancelled following the death of Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang'.

The petitioners who chanted slogans condemning the County Assembly, said Makueni had become ungovernable because Prof Kibwana had refused to submit to selfish demands of MCAs.

“Prof is in problems because he does not know how to eat chicken,” read one of the placards.

The voters said they had collected more than 54,000 signatures across all the 30 electoral wards in the county, and appealed to President Kenyatta to grant them a ‘Christmas gift’ by dissolving the County government. “We want President Kenyatta to grant us a Christmas present by  accepting our petition to clean up this county government” said a voter who identified herself only as Mueni.