Mumbuni North MCA Gideon Kavuu’s burial ceremony on Saturday turned into a 'political battleground' as politicians tore into each other with words displaying publicly their differences.
The local politicians included MPs from Machakos and Makueni counties elected on both Maendeleo Chap Chap and Wiper party tickets.
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti found herself on the receiving end as some of the legislators criticized her administration's operations and performance as the Machakos chief executive officer.
In response to her political nemesis who spoke before her, Ndeti told the legislators not to talk at her.
“Don’t talk at me, talk to me. I don’t have a problem with any leader, Machakos is for everyone,” Ndeti said.
Ndeti said during the MCA's burial ceremony at Mung'ala Secondary School in Mumbuni, Machakos County.
This happened even as Ndeti's, predecessor and Foreign Affairs CS Alfred Mutua and area deputy governor Francis Mwangangi called for a truce among the leaders from the county.
They urged them to give the governor time to deliver to the Machakos County residents for the electorates’ best interests.
The politics at the funeral equally divided the mourners with some cheering at Ndeti's naysayers while others jeered at them in equal measure.
It all started when Machakos Town MP Caleb Mule publicly maintained that Ndeti’s administration was biased.
Mule claimed that the governor had given tenders including those of constructing toilets to certain tribes, ‘outsiders’.
It wasn’t the first time the first term Maendeleo Chap Chap MP made such claims publicly.
Ndeti in a rejoinder said those in question were also Machakos residents and hence had equal rights to get the tenders.
She argued her case based on the 30 percent non-locals provision in the 2010 Constitution.
The governor said her office doors were open and she was ready to work with all leaders from the region.
“Hon. Caleb, God is my witness. It’s your office, you are my area MP. Come, my office is in Machakos,” Ndeti said.
“Mimi na Caleb tunapigania nini? To all leaders, this Machakos belongs to you,” Ndeti said.
Ndeti said she had hired former Machakos DeputyGovernor Francis Maliti and ex-Kangundo MP Katatha Maweu as her advisors on matters of Water, Sewerage Climate change, and politics respectively.
An indication she said confirms that her administration was accommodative.
Mutua told Ndeti’s naysayers to let her do her job as the governor.
“When I moved from Machakos as the governor, Wavinya was the duly elected governor of Machakos County. Wacheni Wavinya Ndeti afanye kazi yake,” Mutua said.
“Wavinya sio mjinga, anajua kile ambacho anataka kufanyia watu wa Machakos. I have seen some MCAs insulting her. Those MCAs who insulted me never returned to the county assembly.
"I have seen some of them here, they were never re-elected,” the CS said.
He warned those fighting Ndeti that they risk not being re-elected in 2027.
“The electorate will start calling you formerly, and if you work with the governor, you must do accountability,” Mutua said.
Mutua told the MCAs to use the assembly whenever they have problems with the executive for amicable solutions instead of throwing insults at the governor in public like funerals and social media.
“Don’t criticize her in burials and other places. Even you Caleb my Maendeleo Chap Chap MP. If you have issues with Wavinya, don’t speak in funerals. Give her a phone call so that you talk and I’m sure she will talk to you well and things will be okay.
Let’s have good structures of working together. If we support Wavinya, she will succeed,” Mutua said.
Mwangangi said he wished leaders from the region worked as a team to improve residents’ livelihoods.
“It’s good if we speak with one voice, and we will be respected for that,” Mwangangi said.
