Governor and senator clash over projects

A major political rift has emerged between Governor Kinuthia Mbugua and Senator James Mungai, with each accusing the other of losing touch with the electorate.

The governor said Mr Mungai should go to Nakuru and to see development projects in progress instead of relying on hearsay.

He said he was never in his office and all his time was taken up by key meetings and tours across the county to launch projects aimed at improving security, transport, health and education.

Mr Mbugua said he had visited 52 wards in the past two years, where about 500 projects were commissioned with some other major ones in the pipeline.

The two clashed during the Madaraka Day fete at Afraha Stadium, where the senator accused the governor of being behind the arrest and constant harassment of Nakuru East MP David Gikaria.

He accused Mr Mbugua and MCAs of insulting him for questioning how public funds were spent, saying he would use Sh27 million to audit development progress in the county.

But Mr Mbugua countered this, saying: “The Sh9 billion allocated to us was arrived at by the Commission of Revenue Allocation but not through Mungai’s efforts. Go out there and seek an honest opinion on what we have done for wananchi.”

The senator blamed the low turnout at the stadium on what he termed as the governor’s poor leadership that resulted in residents avoiding important public events.

But Deputy Governor John Ruto scoffed at these claims, saying each leader conducted individual campaigns and that yesterday’s fete was a national day.