The relationship between Kilifi governor Amason Kingi and his deputy Gideon Saburi has deteriorated to the extent that the two are said not to greet or talk one on one. Kingi is said behind his deputy’s arrest and forced quarantine at Coast county referral hospital in Mombasa over fears of carrying the deadly coronavirus after a visit to Germany and refusing to self quarantine upon his return. The embattled Saburi was discharged from hospital a few weeks ago after full recovery according to Health cabinet secretary Mutahi Kagwe. The CS said Saburi was given a clean bill of health after undergoing three tests which all came out negative. After being discharged from hospital, Saburi was immediately arrested and arraigned in court for endangering the lives of Kenyans by failing to isolate himself upon his return from Germany, then a corona virus hotspot he visited even after being informed the meeting had been postponed owing to the virus.
Amason Kingi
He has since been released on bail pending hearing and determination of the case. The DG’s lawyers are fighting to get him off the hook over fears that if the matter drags in court, it could be used by his political enemies to lock him out of the 2022 gubernatorial race. Indeed, supporters of the DG in Kilifi do not believe the arrest was motivated by a desire to protect the residents against corona. They read politics in the issue, claiming the motive is to get rid of Saburi by destabilising his image ahead of 2022 general elections to pave way for teh governor’s younger brother Michael Kingi, the Magarini MP. It is said, the DG had managed to make inroads and networks across the entire county in a manner Kingi did not anticipate as the DG is thought to be unambitious individual. There is also the alleged closeness of the DG to ODM leader Raila Odinga which Kingi is said to be uncomfortable with. Other sources also claim Saburi may have secretly passed crucial information on corruption in the county to EACC detectives who could see heads roll and then he becomes the acting governor.
Gideon Saburi
Twalib Mbarak, the EACC CEO is from the county and there has been pressure on him to act on runaway graft in the Kilifi county government. Saburi had to part ways with Kingi in 2015 when he tendered his resignation as CeC roads, saying he could not withstand the level of corruption in the county government. He headed back to lecture halls at Pwani University until 2017 when Kingi reached out to him to be his running mate for purposes of winning the DG’s Warabai vote, which is second to that of Kingi’s Wagiriama community. The governor has not publicly announced his preferred successor even though his close associates are aware that he is grooming his brother Michael, a move he intends to keep secret until the last minute to avoid fallout within his camp.
Stewart Madzayo
Observers say, the governor also wants to keep perceived strong candidates like Lands chief administrative secretary Gideon Mung’aro in guess work thinking he will support them at the end so as to destabilise them in favour of his sibling. “We have warned Mung’aro several times to disassociate himself from Kingi and chart his own political destiny early enough but he still falsely thinks he will get Kingi’s support at the end,” an MP close to the CAS lamented. Last week, Kilifi senator Stewart Madzayo tore into those persecuting the Kilifi DG, warning that the move will not be tolerated. Speaking at the senate, Madzayo said Saburi was being fought because he was a threat to some people’s political calculations. The senator who is a former judge of the industrial court further criticised Uhuru Kenyatta for calling for the jailing of the DG for 10 years even when the matter was still in court.
Walter
