Ukambani leaders told president Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday that Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka was no longer a factor in Ukambani politics and the region was up for grabs.
Details of a meeting held between Kenyatta and ukambani leaders at the office of governor Alfred Mutua emerged yesterday.
The leaders also told the head of state that they need massive support from the national government so as to supplement their county funding to initiate ambitious projects that they pledged to the people ahead of the last elections.
“For wananchi to believe in us, we must initiate and complete most of the projects we promised in our pre-election pledges,” an mp told the president during the meeting.
They told Kenyatta to prioritized water and infrastructure projects to empower the people and alleviate poverty in the semi arid region.
The leaders who included four Machakos legislators and others from Kitui and Makueni said senator Johnson Muthama, a political side kick of Kalonzo no longer enjoyed popularity and influence in the county due to his confrontational approach to politics and his abrasive nature.
“Governor Mutua is firmly in control of Machakos and the people no longer listen to Kalonzo any more, we can succeed and achieve our dreams under Mutua and you,” an mp told the meeting.
Mutua went ahead and said his development agenda for the county was on track and majority of the county leaders were behind him in his quest to alleviate poverty in Machakos.
The ukambani legislators also informed the head of state that Wiper had lost it’s popularity in the region as a result of it’s intolerant nature to perceived party rebels in leadership positions.
According to a leader who attended the meeting, the president was very pleased by the change of alliance of Mavoko legislator Patrick Makau who was a staunch defender of Muthama and an avid critic of the county government.
Makau went ahead and ‘apologized’ to Mutua in public at the people’s park later in the day and hailed the county government for the development in his constituency over the past year.
On his part,the president told the leaders that they would get full co-operation from the national government as far as development issues were concerned and was not perturbed about party affiliations.
The president added Mutua was not only a focused leader but they shared a lot in common besides being a personal friend and had full confidence in his leadership capabilities.
MPs who attended the meeting included Victor Munyaka( Machakos town) Itwiku Mbai ( Masinga) Vincent Musyoka (Mwala) and Patrick Makua (Mwala), Yatta legislator Francis Mwangangi sent his apologies.
Kangundo legislator Katatha Maweu,Victor Mule ( Matungulu) and Kathiani’s Robert Mbui who are perceived to be Muthama’s allies gave the presidential visit a wide berth.
The meeting was also attended by Makueni legislators Richard Makenga (Kaiti) Regina Ndambuki (Kilome) and Kitui’s Joe Mutambu( Mwingi central) John Munuve (Mwingi north) and Robert Mutemi (nominated)
The Mca’s delegation was lead by the Machakos assembly majority leader Joshua Mwonga and his minority counterpart Thomas Kasoa in the hour long meeting that disrupted traffic along the Machakos town-Makutano road as the region’s destiny was being discussed.
- the-star.co.ke
