Embattled Kitui governor Charity Ngilu has dispatched emissaries to Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka for a truce even as she fights for her survival.
The governor fell out with Kalonzo when she teamed up with Governor Alfred Mutua of Machakos and his Makueni counterpart Kivutha Kibwana in waging a political war against Kalonzo and spearheading calls for the community to chart a different political path away from the former vice president whose roots are entrenched in the community.
From left: Governor Ngilu, Governor Mutua and Governor Kibwana
The unity of the three governors in pushing anti-Kalonzo crusade and agenda is facing hard times and backfiring in Ukambani considering that the community is still fully behind the Wiper party leader and their efforts to undermine him are proving to be counterproductive.
Kibwana and Mutua are serving their final terms in office but for Ngilu, she will defend her Kitui seat, thus complicating her cooperation with the duo. Ngilu who trounced then Kitui senator David Musila and the then incumbent governor Julius Malombe is finding it rough in Kitui with some residents disillusioned by her leadership.
The county boss who now remains isolated is disturbed by the fact that Kalonzo has drawn his lineup for 2022 elections which has sidelined her and chances of retaining the seat are slim.
Her leadership style has faced criticism from Kitui leaders who accuse her of practising nepotism and hiring close family members who are calling shots at her office.
Kalonzo Musyoka
The leaders also cite cases were the governor has hired non-Kitui residents to serve in her government as advisers but end up misleading her for they have no interest of the area residents. The same advisers in fear, advised her to keep off from elected leaders in managing the county, a move that is costing her immensely politically.
All Kitui MPs whom she has sidelined have declared war on her and are working day and night, plotting how to subdue and bring her down come the next elections. The MPs now at loggerheads with Ngilu are Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East), Bonny Mwalika (Kitui Rural), Rachel Nyamai, (Kitui South), Makali Mulu (Kitui Central), Gedion Mulyungi (Mwingi Central), Charles Nguna (Mwingi West) and Paul Nzengu of Mwingi North.
Only Kitui West MP Edith Nyenze supports the governor. County senator Enoch Wambua and women rep Irene Kasalu do not see eye-to-eye with Ngilu who also does not hold them at the esteem they believe they deserve.
The current rebellion that has sucked in MCAs is causing Ngilu sleepless nights with the MCAs threatening to shoot down her budget for failing to consult them.The county assembly is controlled by Wiper MCAs with the speaker George Ndotto being a Kalonzo ally. Ndotto and Ngilu rivalry dates back to 1992 elections when Ngilu then in Mwai Kibaki’s Democratic Party trounced by Ndoto who was running on then ruling party Kanu, to become Kitui Central MP.
Ndoto remained in political cold only to resurface in 2013 when he landed the speaker’s post which he holds till now.
Of late the county boss has toned down her attacks towards Kalonzo with word that she is secretly dispatching elders to sweet talk Kalonzo.
Ngilu and Kalonzo at a past event
Sections of Kalonzo backers are themselves divided on whom Kalonzo should throw his weight behind with some asking that he picks MP Gedion Mulyungi or Kiema Kilonzo. Kiema who was in Jubilee in 2013 is planning a major comeback to Wiper party and has held meetings with Kalonzo in Kenya and Uganda where he is Kenya’s ambassador with a view of working together to dislodge Ngilu. The name of former Governor Julius Malombe has also featured in the matrix. He is currently the chairman of Kenya Tower Agency. It goes without saying that Kalonzo prefers Malombe.
However Wiper backers say Malombe let the party down in the last polls were despite the party’s popularity in the region he trailed behind Ngilu and Musila. To many Malombe is wrong choice for the party to take on Ngilu who is a known grassroots mobiliser.
At the county level the governor is facing allegations of embezzlement of county resources through investing in projects which end up failing. Her much publicised ndengu revolution which consumed over Sh300 million county funds proved a disappointment after farmers were left with tonnes of the commodity in their stores as the market in India where they had anticipated to sell was ruined by a bumper harvest in that country.
The governor has also been summoned by the senate public accounts committee to answer audit queries raised by the office of the Auditor General on awarding of tenders to companies linked to her family members.
MCAs who had kept quiet for a while after she bribed them are promising to paralyse operations over unfulfilled promises. Ngilu according to the leaders had promised them to set aside ward development fund of 20 million in each ward but they later realised she was duping them into passing her supplementary budget and up to know no funds has been released to that effect.
