By Martin Masai

Kitui Governor Julius Makau Malombe stood before the County Assembly on Tuesday and delivered what can only be described as a bold self-assessment — crisp, confident, and meticulously tallied.

He came bearing numbers: 1,921 development projects in under three years, spread across all 40 wards. That’s about 64 projects per ward — a dizzying average of two projects a month. Add a gleaming County Aggregation and Industrial Park at Kanyonyoo to the mix, throw in expanded healthcare access, and you get the picture: Malombe is counting, and loudly so.

This, ladies and gentlemen, was a governor on audit mode — auditing his own performance and inviting the people of Kitui to do the math. This performance audit may impress on the surface, but its neatness demands scrutiny. Still, Malombe’s self audit is a useful place to begin.

And while Kitui was abuzz with developmental pride, just over the border in Machakos, the loudest thing in the air was… silence. A lull after a fight.

Governor Wavinya Ndeti, now halfway through her term, has yet to offer Machakos a State of the County Address. Not in 2023. Not in 2024. Not yet in 2025.

Now, granted, some may argue that leadership is not about speeches. It’s about data. Indelible figures that impact lives.

But if your neighbouring governor is tossing around 1,921 completed projects, launching agro-industrial parks, and declaring a new era in rural healthcare, the silence starts to feel less like humility — and more like avoidance.

Could it be that Machakos has no projects to report? Or is someone still tallying? And so who is giving accolades to Wavinya; what are they for?

Of course, some in Wavinya’s camp will say Kitui’s figures are padded, bloated, exaggerated. But then, even an exaggerated number beats no number at all. Right now, Malombe looks like a headmaster reading out exam results. Wavinya? She’s yet to release the term report card.

Machakos residents are watching. They’ve seen the ministerial reshuffles. They’ve heard the grumbles in the County Assembly. They’ve read about ward projects stalling and contractors abandoning site. The least they deserve is a full disclosure: what has the governor done for you lately?

Because accountability isn’t just a constitutional requirement. It’s a political instinct and the part of leadership that says: Here’s what I promised. Here’s what I’ve done. Judge me accordingly.

So as Governor Malombe ticks off milestones (self audited or not), Machakos residents may be left to wonder: When will our governor deliver her scorecard? Or is this one exam that will go unmarked?

Only time will tell.

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