Governor, MP in battle for county supremacy

BY TOBIAS CHANJI

KWALE, KENYA: Wrangles between Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya and Msambweni MP Suleiman Dori appear to be far from over.

Yesterday, Dori accused Mr Mvurya of trying to undermine him.

In a statement to The Standard, Mr Dori accused the governor of overstepping his mandate as outlined in the constitution saying that he was playing politics to the gallery.

“I am the boss in my constituency and so, no one should expect me to report to him on anything. As leaders, we should know our mandate and stop playing politics and instead, get solutions to the problems facing the community,” he said.

The two Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) members have for the last two weeks waged a war of words. Their differences are based on claims that Mvurya wants all local MPs to inform him when they tour their constituencies. But the two also appear to differ on various issues.

Wednesday last week, the governor toured Vidzyani, four days after Dori was also in the area with Kwale County Commissioner Evans Achoki and this did not go down well with the governor who saw it as interference by the national Government.

The MP and Mr Achoki had visited the area following a land impasse between the Kwale International Sugar Company and locals who accuse the company of wanting to evict them.

Addressing the locals, the governor told them to work with the county governments in safeguarding devolution. “We don’t want any officials either from central Government, local leaders or any other person to call meetings under trees and other places without involving the county government,” he said.

Those who have also toured the area include the National Land Commission Chairperson Mohammed Swazuri whom Mvurya said they have written to him for advice on how to solve the longstanding land issue. “Any messenger from the central Government seeking to discuss land issues in Kwale must get clearance from the county government,” he argued

Dori now says every leader should focus on his job description and that as the area MP, he sees no need of being told not to tour the place freely.

The war of words between those two leaders has been steadily gaining momentum over the days.

Recently Dori told his constituents at Diani Babla High School during the issuance of bursaries that he will not line up at the governor’s office to get the money.

In the recent issuance of title deeds, the governor had written to Mr Achoki, directing him to halt the process after members of county assembly passed a motion to that effect.

Dori and the Msambweni Deputy Commission Benjamin Leparmorija continued with the exercise.