Governor removes her gloves to fight:But Can She Dismantle Kiusya’s Fortress?
By Anchor Writers
In a fiery outburst yesterday at a Sunday church service in Mumbuni North Ward, Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti publicly declared war against County Assembly Speaker Ann Kiusya.
The Governor’s vow to lead residents in ejecting the speaker from office is certainly an out-of- the -law tactic that underlines many of her actions since becoming the Governor of Machakos.
It marks the climax of a political fallout that has been brewing behind the scenes since Kiusya started exerting legislative oversight on Wavinya.
“I supported the Speaker and pleaded with Kalonzo to give her that job,” Wavinya claimed before congregants at AIC Baraka Church. “But now she is being used to interfere with the County of Machakos. As Machakos people, we are going to remove her from that Assembly”, a clearly infuriated Governor stated, without elaborating.
It is likely that she will deploy the same gangs who have been marauding around the assembly whenever her allies have unleashed violence at the Speaker.
It was a message aimed not only at the Speaker but also at her new political allies. The governor went further, issuing a warning to President William Ruto to “keep off Machakos County affairs” — suggesting that the crisis is no longer local but a reflection of deeper national political interference.
Unforgiving Political Numbers
To remove a speaker from the office, the law requires a super two-thirds majority of all MCAs — at least 45 out of 59 members in the Machakos County Assembly.
But Wavinya’s Wiper Party, even at full strength, has only 24 MCAs, and not all of them are loyal to her. In the last attempt to impeach Speaker Kiusya, the pro-Wavinya camp mustered 33 MCAs to sign the impeachment petition— twelve short of the threshold.
Since then, the numbers have grown more elusive. Following her slide from Wiper and alignment with Kenya Kwanza, Kiusya has consolidated support from UDA MCAs, Maendeleo Chap Chap, and several Independents, forming a buffer zone around her leadership.
Wavinya may want to appeal to public sympathy in parts of the county, but inside the Assembly, she is politically cornered.
Gone are the days Wavinya would beckon the police to support her lawless adjutants led by Majority Leader Nicholas Nzioka.
Today, police are strictly enforcing orders given by the speaker, and Wavinya is on the losing end.
Public Pressure vs. Legislative Reality
The governor has now shifted her strategy to public mobilization, popularly known as goon culture, to delegitimize Kiusya’s tenure. It is a lawless route that she is taken.
By casting the Speaker as a traitor to Wiper and a puppet of the national government, she’s building a grassroots narrative of betrayal and external interference.
But this approach is not without risks. Public pressure may not sway hardened MCAs — especially those with political or material incentives to remain aligned with Kiusya. If anything, it could deepen Assembly divisions and provoke backlash, placing Wavinya’s agenda at the assembly in total jeopardy for the remainder of her term.
Options on the Table
With impeachment numbers out of reach, Wavinya is left with a few strategic, though narrow, options:
First would be to engineer defections: She could attempt to buy off MCAs from Kiusya’s side through persuasion or inducements — including promises of appointments, committee posts, or budgetary allocations to their wards.
Second, legal and procedural manoeuvres may come into play. Her allies might explore whether the Speaker’s slide from Wiper could amount to political misconduct under party or Assembly rules — a tactic that would require legal groundwork.
Third, a negotiated settlement: The governor could also seek a pragmatic compromise with Kiusya to stabilize governance, though such a truce would require significant face-saving and concessions on both sides. This is the shortest route for Wavinya to save face, though her ego – fabled to be the size of an elephant – may be the stumbling block.
None of these paths is easy — and all carry political consequences.
Kalonzo Musyoka’s “Aende Akiendanga” Bombshell has rendered the catalytic effect to this row, pushing Kiusya to seek support in Kenya Kwanza.
The Wiper boss has refused to see reason and solve the matter at the right time due to a conflict of interest that surrounds him at every turn.
The explosive intervention of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who weighed in with a scathing dismissal of the Speaker, only complicated the fight.
Speaking at a recent rally, Kalonzo dropped the phrase that has since defined the crisis: “Aende akiendanga!” — loosely translated to mean, “Let her go if she wants to!” or “Good riddance.”
That moment, delivered in his signature rhetorical flair, marked a turning point. By disowning Kiusya in public, Kalonzo didn’t just close the door on reconciliation — he raised the political stakes for Wavinya.
Now, removing the Speaker isn’t just a county-level issue; it has become a litmus test of Wiper’s control over Machakos, and by extension, Kalonzo’s authority in Ukambani.
The problem? Wavinya still lacks the numbers — but now she can not afford to fail. The “Aende akiendanga” declaration has created a new expectation among Wiper supporters: Kiusya must be removed. Any failure to achieve that risks turning into a symbol of Wiper’s impotence.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Kwanza government appears to be exploiting the situation — encouraging defections, bolstering pro-Kiusya MCAs, and using the chaos to undermine Wiper’s local dominance. For President Ruto, it’s a strategic move to eat into Kalonzo’s traditional base ahead of the 2027 General Election.
What’s at Stake?
What began as a breakdown between a Governor and a Speaker has evolved into a high-stakes proxy battle between Kalonzo Musyoka and William Ruto, played out through local actors – thanks to Kalonzo’s miscalculation.
Wavinya and Kiusya are now on opposite ends of a power struggle that could define who controls the political direction of Machakos — and possibly the whole of Ukambani — in the run-up to 2027.
If Kiusya survives, it will signal that Wiper — despite having the Governor’s seat and historic loyalty in the region — is extremely vulnerable.
If Wavinya succeeds, it will reassert Kalonzo’s grip on the region and offer Wiper a badly needed political victory.
Either way, Machakos is entering a period of turbulence. What remains unclear is whether it will lead to political renewal — or stagnation under the weight of an unrelenting power struggle.
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