Our Reporter
Despite attempts by religious and political leaders from Kiambu county to strike a deal between the Kiambu governor William Kabogo and the region’s political leaders to bury the hatchet and work together has again hit a deadend.
It is now emerging that the rift between Kabogo and other county leaders appears to be widening despite growing pressure on the legislators to read from the same script for the sake of development.
We have since gathered that some MPs and ward representatives unhappy with the governor have said they would collect signatures from voters to push for Kabogo’s impeachment.
Sources say those behind the impeachment plot are working on a Sh1b budget that will be used to facilitate signature collection that will finally see Kabogo shown the exit door.We have information those to remove Kabongo want him replaced by his depty and are grooming former Vision 2030 chief executive Mugo Kibati take over come 2017.
Kabogo and local leaders have been at war and the bone of contention has been on the alleged corruption by the county’s executive. Those planning to impeach Kabogo now claim that he has refused to listen to their concerns and more recently the decision by the county government to evict traders from Jamhuri market in Thika.
Leading the onslaught against Kabogo are MPs Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika), Kimani Ichung’wa (Kikuyu), Mburu Kahangara (Lari), Jude Njomo (Kiambu) and Ngewa MCA Karungo wa Thang’wa. The MPs last week told Kabogo that his days were numbered as the Kiambu governor as the impeachment process would be underway soon. They also warned that it would not be business as usual.
To further complicate matters for Kabogo is the fact that he also now seems to have fallen out with top Jubilee operatives. It is important to note that for long time Kabogo and Uhuru Kenyatta have not been in same political camps. During the 2007 elections, Kabogo was in Narc-K while Uhuru was in Kanu. It was during this time that Kabogo faced a by-election and won on a Narc-K ticket to the chagrin of Uhuru who was supporting George Thuo.
At that time, Uhuru was an ardent supporter of then president Mwai Kibaki while Kabogo was strongly behind Martha Karua who had by that time pulled out of the PNU coalition. Although Kabogo later abandoned Karua to join TNA, sources say those close to Uhuru do not have a soft spot for him.
But when did rain start beting Kabogo? It was during the runup to the 2013 elections when he declared interest for the Kiambu gubernatorial seat. At the same time, Uhuru had also shown interest in James Nyoro who had also done a lot of groundwork. At one stage, Nyoro and Uhuru seemed to have struck a deal that saw him defect to Narc which was Jubilee affiliate.
Due to TNA wave that was sweeping across Central province, Nyoro lost to Kabogo. He garnered 241,658 votes against Kabogo’s 487,631. To further show that Nyoro was in Uhuru’s game plan, upon assuming office, he was appointed as presidential adviser on agriculture.
Last week, he came out and publicly supported the proposed impeachment of Kabogo. Nyoro shocked many when he spoke after a church service in Riabai last Sunday wehere he declared support calls by the MPs to impeach Kabogo. According to Nyoro who is also a sworn political enemy to Kabogo, Kiambu was not making any progress and should therefore be dissolved.
“We have nothing to show since the county government came into place. In fact we are destroying what we already had. If the county government of Kiambu has failed, residents should petition Uhuru to dissolve it before it’s too late,” said Nyoro.
But Kabogo in a quick rejoinder has accused the MPs of using him to divert attention from their failings. He has denied that the county government had failed residents, saying it has been ranked third in prudent use of resources and top in matters of health and ICT compliance.
Kabogo has also accused rivals who want his seat in 2017 of hatching a plot to distract him from his work. He claims that the gubernatorial hopefuls are using area MPs and MCAs to push for his impeachment.
“I’m conscious that there are some people who are eyeing some seats in this region. They are fuelling all these wrangles in Kiambu. But let them be warned that we are not going to be held back by their intimidation. We are up to the task of serving the people of Kiambu,” he said.
He accused the MPs and MCAs of abandoning their duties to concentrate on attacking him. Kabogo said they owe him an apology. He said only the people of Kiambu can remove him from office.
Among those who have supported Nyoro’s calls that the county government be dissolved includes Ichung’wa who said the county government had outlived its usefulness as far as leadership is concerned and should be dissolved. “We are tired of Governor Kabogo and it’s only a matter of time before Kiambu people start collecting signatures,” he said.
The calls have also been supported by Ng’an’ga who said they would turn to voters to send Kabogo home. She claimed that they have turned to collecting signatures because Kabogo has compromised county reps and that they cannot pass the impeachment motion. impeachment themselves,” she said.
Despite attempts by religious and political leaders from Kiambu county to strike a deal between the Kiambu governor William Kabogo and the region’s political leaders to bury the hatchet and work together has again hit a deadend.
It is now emerging that the rift between Kabogo and other county leaders appears to be widening despite growing pressure on the legislators to read from the same script for the sake of development.
We have since gathered that some MPs and ward representatives unhappy with the governor have said they would collect signatures from voters to push for Kabogo’s impeachment.
Sources say those behind the impeachment plot are working on a Sh1b budget that will be used to facilitate signature collection that will finally see Kabogo shown the exit door.We have information those to remove Kabongo want him replaced by his depty and are grooming former Vision 2030 chief executive Mugo Kibati take over come 2017.
Kabogo and local leaders have been at war and the bone of contention has been on the alleged corruption by the county’s executive. Those planning to impeach Kabogo now claim that he has refused to listen to their concerns and more recently the decision by the county government to evict traders from Jamhuri market in Thika.
Leading the onslaught against Kabogo are MPs Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika), Kimani Ichung’wa (Kikuyu), Mburu Kahangara (Lari), Jude Njomo (Kiambu) and Ngewa MCA Karungo wa Thang’wa. The MPs last week told Kabogo that his days were numbered as the Kiambu governor as the impeachment process would be underway soon. They also warned that it would not be business as usual.
To further complicate matters for Kabogo is the fact that he also now seems to have fallen out with top Jubilee operatives. It is important to note that for long time Kabogo and Uhuru Kenyatta have not been in same political camps. During the 2007 elections, Kabogo was in Narc-K while Uhuru was in Kanu. It was during this time that Kabogo faced a by-election and won on a Narc-K ticket to the chagrin of Uhuru who was supporting George Thuo.
At that time, Uhuru was an ardent supporter of then president Mwai Kibaki while Kabogo was strongly behind Martha Karua who had by that time pulled out of the PNU coalition. Although Kabogo later abandoned Karua to join TNA, sources say those close to Uhuru do not have a soft spot for him.
But when did rain start beting Kabogo? It was during the runup to the 2013 elections when he declared interest for the Kiambu gubernatorial seat. At the same time, Uhuru had also shown interest in James Nyoro who had also done a lot of groundwork. At one stage, Nyoro and Uhuru seemed to have struck a deal that saw him defect to Narc which was Jubilee affiliate.
Due to TNA wave that was sweeping across Central province, Nyoro lost to Kabogo. He garnered 241,658 votes against Kabogo’s 487,631. To further show that Nyoro was in Uhuru’s game plan, upon assuming office, he was appointed as presidential adviser on agriculture.
Last week, he came out and publicly supported the proposed impeachment of Kabogo. Nyoro shocked many when he spoke after a church service in Riabai last Sunday wehere he declared support calls by the MPs to impeach Kabogo. According to Nyoro who is also a sworn political enemy to Kabogo, Kiambu was not making any progress and should therefore be dissolved.
“We have nothing to show since the county government came into place. In fact we are destroying what we already had. If the county government of Kiambu has failed, residents should petition Uhuru to dissolve it before it’s too late,” said Nyoro.
But Kabogo in a quick rejoinder has accused the MPs of using him to divert attention from their failings. He has denied that the county government had failed residents, saying it has been ranked third in prudent use of resources and top in matters of health and ICT compliance.
Kabogo has also accused rivals who want his seat in 2017 of hatching a plot to distract him from his work. He claims that the gubernatorial hopefuls are using area MPs and MCAs to push for his impeachment.
“I’m conscious that there are some people who are eyeing some seats in this region. They are fuelling all these wrangles in Kiambu. But let them be warned that we are not going to be held back by their intimidation. We are up to the task of serving the people of Kiambu,” he said.
He accused the MPs and MCAs of abandoning their duties to concentrate on attacking him. Kabogo said they owe him an apology. He said only the people of Kiambu can remove him from office.
Among those who have supported Nyoro’s calls that the county government be dissolved includes Ichung’wa who said the county government had outlived its usefulness as far as leadership is concerned and should be dissolved. “We are tired of Governor Kabogo and it’s only a matter of time before Kiambu people start collecting signatures,” he said.
The calls have also been supported by Ng’an’ga who said they would turn to voters to send Kabogo home. She claimed that they have turned to collecting signatures because Kabogo has compromised county reps and that they cannot pass the impeachment motion. impeachment themselves,” she said.
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