By Martin Masai

In a quiet but far-reaching reshuffle, Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti today reinstated Roads executive Rita Ndunge Ndunda.

It comes months after her suspension triggered public debate over ethics, transport cartels, and the true reach of the governor’s authority.
But in a strategic twist, Rita returns not to her old docket but to the Ministry of Water, Sanitation, Irrigation, and Environment.

She replaces Annastacia Munyaka, who has been moved to head to the influential Lands department. Munyaka, in turn, takes over from Nathaniel Nganga, who has now been sent back to his former Roads and Transport post.

Nganga has barely survived a purge in the cabinet as Wavinya has been on his case for reasons The Anchor is investigating.
The reshuffle, communicated through a circular dated July 2, 2025, was signed by County Secretary Dr. Muya Ndambuki addressed to  all ministers and chief officers.

It reflects both a political reset and a subtle reshuffling of power centres within Wavinya’s embattled two-year administration that is deep in war with the Machakos County Assembly Speaker Ann Kiusya.

Also, returning to government is lawyer Anthony Mutunga, who had been dropped more than seven months ago. He re-enters the scene from a Nairobi law firm as Chief Officer in the little-known but politically delicate Citizen Engagement department.

The governor also pulled back from the cold former Chief Officers Abdilahi Guliye and Simon Kirima, who will now serve in Lands and Physical Planning, and Emergency and Disaster Management, respectively.

Guliye, notably, is a brother to the county’s chief contractor, Ali Guliye. For months, both he and Kirima have been operating informally out of the CS’s office—a detail that has raised eyebrows among insiders tracking power shifts in the county administration.
Wavinya has cultivated a pattern of sidelining officers she clashes with—removing them from formal duty but retaining them on the payroll, a move that continues to raise concerns about fiscal discipline and prudent use of public funds.
One of the biggest surprises in the reshuffle is the re-emergence of Rita Ndunda, whose suspension followed a public spat with officials from a transport Sacco and the leak of a recorded conversation that cast a shadow on her integrity.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) reportedly conducted an investigation into the matter. But sources familiar with the outcome say the probe failed to yield evidence strong enough to justify formal prosecution or administrative sanction.
Political watchers say Rita’s comeback is a sign that she never truly lost the governor’s trust—only that her earlier missteps had become politically inconvenient to defend at the time.

Her reinstatement suggests a recalibration of Wavinya’s political calculus as she looks to consolidate loyalty within her executive.
The reassignment of Papaa Lompo—who has been moved from Lands to the position of Chief Officer for Litigation and Enforcement—completes the latest round of movements in Wavinya’s cabinet.
The shuffle restates one pattern: Wavinya continues to wield the power of appointments both as a sword and a shield—rewarding loyalty, corruption, punishing dissent, and keeping her allies, even when disgraced, within reach of power.
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