By Rose Mwangangi in Mwingi, Kitui County

Kitui Speaker Kelvin Kinengo Katisya has launched  Sharp Citiscm of Governor Julius Malombe’s Performance

The Speaker Kelvin Kinengo Katisya decried what he termed as dismal progress in development across the county over the past two years.

Speaking during the final session of the four-day “Mbunge Mashinani” program held in Migwani, Mwingi West, Speaker Kinengo accused the county government of failing to deliver on key projects despite the Assembly allocating funds for these initiatives.

He questioned the administration’s accountability in handling public resources, particularly tax revenues.

“It is unacceptable that the County Government of Kitui cannot account for the residents’ taxes. Despite funds being allocated for critical development projects, there is little to show on the ground,” Kinengo stated.

“The constitution mandates the government to serve its citizens diligently, yet Governor Malombe’s administration has blatantly ignored this responsibility. Over four billion shillings of taxpayers’ money have been pocketed by county officials, leaving residents neglected—even in critical areas like healthcare. This is a wicked and failed government, ” the Speaker declared.

Kinengo’s sentiments were echoed by Nguni Ward MCA Jeremiah Mutua, who accused the governor of deliberately withholding the 2024-2025 supplementary budget passed by the Assembly.

According to Mutua, the governor’s refusal to approve the budget stems from his dissatisfaction with the Assembly’s prioritization of public needs.

“The Assembly will not compromise on this budget. It reflects the priorities of the public as identified during countywide participation forums. Governor Malombe must respect the will of the people,” Mutua said. “We expect immediate action on stalled development projects, especially in the health sector. Non-functional health centers and incomplete maternity wings across sub-counties are a glaring failure of his administration.”

Nguutani Ward MCA Stephen Katana also criticized Governor Malombe for his disconnect with the public. He called on the governor to abandon his “ivory tower” approach and engage directly with citizens in their wards.

“The governor must listen to the people instead of relying on misleading reports from his advisors. Development cannot be dictated from the office. It requires interaction and real feedback from the ground,” Katana emphasized.

The Assembly’s criticism highlights growing discontent with Governor Malombe’s administration, with Speaker Kinengo and the MCAs vowing to hold the county government accountable for its failures.

Contacted for comment, the Head of the Governor’s Press Service Mr Onesmus Kilonzo said: ” The Speaker is the head of one arm of the CGoK (The County Assembly), while the Governor heads the Executive arm. Both have the mandate to serve the people of Kitui. However, the governor is the overall CEO of the county government.”
Mr. Kilonzo added, “In the foregoing arrangement, both the governor and the speaker are expected to work in the spirit of trust and through mutual consultations for the benefit of our people. The communication channels between the two are still open, and the relationship between the executive and the assembly remains cordial. In fact, to facilitate more consultations between the two arms, regular consultative retreats are held twice every year to enable cordial interactions between the executive led by the governor and the county assembly led by the speaker.”

He concluded by saying: “The last such meeting took place at Mombasa. The atmosphere was quite friendly, and every participant was given an opportunity to express their views openly. At the end of the retreat, both the governor and the speaker issued a joint Communique about the deliberations as well as the way forward.”

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