Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has threatened to abandon the Wiper party if he is pushed to the ‘wall’.
Dr Mutua made the announcement Monday after holding hours-long meeting with delegates from two sub-counties of Yatta and Masanga, where his deputy Benard Kiala, comes from.
The governor noted that the bad working relations between him and his deputy have been built by the party’s top brass. He accused party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, of failing to mediate between the two even after he sought his help.
Mutua said he had approached Mr Kalonzo and asked him to talk to Mr Kiala for him to stop politicking and work towards serving the people of Machakos.
“I have pleaded with the party boss, who I respect very much, to talk to Mr Kiala to abandon politicking and work, but all in vain,” he said.
He added: “The same leaders have been fighting me left and right despite being in Wiper to stay, and accusing me of being a sympathiser to the other political alignment.”
“But let me tell them that if they push me up to the wall, I will have no option but to seek refuge elsewhere,” said Mutua.
Mutua made the remarks as the war between him and Kiala took another twist Monday.
The Machakos governor announced that he had stripped Kiala off all his ministerial responsibilities. Kiala was also the executive officer for Public Service, Labour and ICT. The docket will now be managed by Executive Officer for Livestock Larry Wambua.
Blame game
Mutua also appointed Nairobi-based lawyer Boniface Kabaka to a new docket of legal and strategic adviser to the governor.
He alleged that he was forced to strip off Kiala his responsibilities because he had failed to perform and instead ‘spent most of his time politicking’.
He, however, said would retain Kiala as deputy governor with no duty because he had disappointed him.
“I decided to take this step to save taxpayer’s money from being withdrawn for no service delivered by the deputy governor” said Mutua.
Kiala had been impeached by the county assembly of Machakos but the Senate last week exonerated him from any wrong doing.
“How can some body be earning more than half a million shillings from the taxpayer yet he’s not performing?” posed Mutua.
Senate reprieve
He accused Kiala of not being tired of politicking even after he was pardoned by the Senate.
“Instead of him coming to me and apologise and resolve to work together, he went round issuing outbursts bent on dividing the Machakos county community,” added the governor.
Mutua maintained that no amount of intrigues by Kiala would stop him from his ‘Maendeleo Chap Chap’ initiative.
“Since he has shown so much interest in politicking than working for the people of Machakos, I have decided to relief him off the burden and set him free to continue with his politics,” he said.
He, however, said the deputy governor would be assigned some duties ‘if need be and when he proves he is ready to work’. On Sunday at Misyani Catholic Church, Kiala vowed to push for county transparency.
– standardmedia.co.ke
