Governor Kingi accuses Kilifi county commissioner of playing partisan politics

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi has accused County Commissioner Joseph Keter of playing partisan politics, something the administrator has swiftly denied.

During Jamhuri Day celebrations at Karisa Karisa Maitha grounds in Kilifi Town on Monday, the governor claimed that Mr Keter is undermining his county government and is acting like a Jubilee mole in the region.

“We started very well Mr Commissioner lakini kwa sasa unachemsha (but now you are messing it up) as we head to the general elections next year. It’s a shame that this is not the way you started and I will continue to expose your actions to the people so that they can understand you,” said the governor.

But in a quick response at a press briefing, Mr Keter told the governor to get his facts right and stop dragging his name into his woes.

“If he thinks by naming Keter it will give him public sympathy, then he is wrong. He must respect the national government as well,” said Mr Keter.

KINGI ARRIVES LATE

Mr Kingi had arrived in a chopper at around 2pm from Nairobi when the celebrations were already underway as the commissioner was reading President Uhuru Kenyatta’s speech.

For about five minutes, Kingi s’ supporters sang and chanted in his praise, forcing Mr Keter to stop reading the speech as he waited for the youth to keep quiet.

As the governor made his way into the stadium, his supporters surged ahead and again started singing, disrupting the reading of the speech again. They only stopped after the governor was seated.

KINGI CASTIGATES KETER

When he rose to speak, the governor castigated the commissioner for refusing to send security officers to his office when it was raided by youth who were protesting against corruption in the county government.

“I was shocked that my office is next to the police station and the youth went ahead to destroy the gate, went into the office to disrupt public services yet your officers were just looking at them, without taking action.

“Mr Commissioner I know you did not act because I am an ODM Governor...but one thing is for sure, I will not abandon ODM for Jubilee,” said Kingi.

But Mr Keter said Mr Kingi’s utterances should not come from a leader of his calibre.

“This is the least I expected from him. After keeping us for so long since morning, the governor comes and starts to blame the Jubilee government. He must know that we are committed to serving the people and not him,” said Mr Keter.