Pressure mounts on isolated Gachagua in Nyeri

By WAINAINA NDUNG’U, ERIC LUNGAI and NICK OLUOCH

Nyeri County: The strained relationship between Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua and other elected leaders in the county has reached scary levels following Thursday’s decision by area MPs to skip the Jubilee celebrations presided over by the governor.

That the quiet tensions and boardroom wars that have persisted over the last six months are now playing out in the public is a worrying sign. It is no longer a secret that all is not well with the political leadership of former President Kibaki’s home county.

Part of the problem is attributed to the fact that Mr Gachagua, who was elected on a Grand National Unity party, is swarmed by elected Members of Parliament and Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) from The National Alliance, which is popular in the region. His policies and directions are under constant scrutiny and opposition from members of the majority party.

Recent stinging criticism directed at Gachagua has come from quarters previously friendly to him including the County MP Priscilla Nyokabi, the only legislator who has faithfully been attending his meetings.

But she alleged recently in Parliament that the Nyeri County Government was seeking to purchase medical supplies for public hospitals outside the government-owned Kenya Medical Supplies Agency, a claim that was immediately denied by Gachagua’s county executive member for Health Dr Charles Githinji.

Later, two MPs, James Mathenge Kanini Kega of Kieni and Peter Weru Kinyua from Gachagua’s Mathira backyard, criticised the governor over planned demolition of kiosks and closure of makeshift food kiosks in Narumoru and Karatina townships.

Kega would later confess that he felt slighted by the county government because he was hardly consulted over projects involving his constituency or invited to the governor’s functions.

Speaking during Jamhuri Day celebrations on Thursday, Majority Leader in the County Assembly Anthony Kibuu told the governor to his face to “wake up from slumber” and steer his government into undertaking projects such as grading of roads, to improve the livelihood of Nyeri residents.

“This government is only buying new vehicles instead of procuring graders for road making. My people are complaining of bad roads in this wet season and you are just watching,” said the Gatitu/Muruguru MCA.

Kibuu blamed the bad relationship between Gachagua and other elected leaders on his chief of staff. Speaking to the The Standard on Sunday on phone he said the chief of staff Duncan Maina Mathenge had failed to effectively play the liaison role of his office as is required.

Unpopular agenda

“When a Member of County Assembly or an MP suggests a project for his area, the chief of staff overrules it and most probably diverts it to another area,” claimed Kibuu.

Mathenge remains a bitter rival of Nyeri Town MP and former Cabinet minister, Esther Murugi, after losing to her in the last two parliamentary elections. Naturally Ms Murugi is unlikely to be comfortable attending meetings called by the governor. But the former minister has kept a safe distance, offering neither biting criticism nor qualified approval to the county government or the governor.

Separately, Othaya MP Mary Wambui who was initially viewed as neutral and even attended last month’s investors’ forum organised by Gachagua at Kabiruini ASK grounds, also skipped the Jamhuri celebrations.

But she defended herself saying, “I was at the national fete at Kasarani to welcome some of our very many dignitaries”.

Kega was a key ally of Dr Wahome Gakuru, TNA’s gubernatorial candidate who lost narrowly to Gachagua.

On Jamhuri Day, Gachagua took on his critics warning them against infighting “because it can only lead to failure in our duties and condemnation of all of us in the next elections”.

On Friday, Gachagua was meeting with MCAs to explore ways of improving relations and Kibuu indicated one of their demands would definitely be taming of the chief of staff.

Vihiga County Governor Moses Akaranga, also finds himself in a similar situation in the County Assembly, where members of the United Democratic Front (UDF) are majority.

Although the UDF allied MCAs are yet to personally target him, they are currently using their numbers to control activities of the house, and push through unpopular agendas, a factor that has elicited public outrage. This is particularly after the recent swearing in of a member to the County Assembly Public Service Board, despite a court order barring the process.

Mr Akaranga, who was elected governor on the Progressive Party of Kenya ticket, has warned the UDF allied members not to use their tyranny of numbers to serve selfish interests.

“I know UDF enjoys numerical strength in the Assembly and I want to advise them to use such advantage to pass Bills that would speed up development and improve the living standards of our people,” he said.

The governor is the sole member from his party in the County Assembly with UDF and CORD allied parties sharing the remaining slots at 25 and 13 respectively.

“Any failure that will come to this county assembly and the county at large, will be entirely blamed on UDF members who have refused any constructive dialogue and instead often use their numbers to continually pass unnecessary decisions,” Mr Ben Ombima, nominated MCA allied to CORD told The Standard on Sunday.

Ombima lamented they were largely muzzled and ignored in regard to important matters of the county. But the Assembly Speaker Daniel Chitwa reiterated that the county assembly’s discontent is usual where there are two warring factions.

“I think it is upon the party leadership to intervene. As the speaker, I have tried to unite the members, but this only emanates from decisions which require voting,” he told The Standard on Sunday.

The governor is planning a meeting with all MPs, the Senator, Women Representative and MCAs to forge unity. Earlier in the week, Hamisi MP Charles Gimose asked former Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi to support Akaranga’s administration.

In Migori, however, Governor Okoth Obado seems to have overcome the challenge from the majority Orange Democratic Movement MCAs. Mr Obado was elected on People’s Democratic Party ticket.