A battle royale is brewing in Kisii County government, pitting Governor Simba Arati against the County Senator Richard Onyonka.
The two former friends (turned foes) are currently not seeing each other eye to eye over the leadership of the county, and staff selection.
The Senator has claimed that there is a lot of favouritism and lack of professionalism in the hiring of County staffs by the current administration.
Speaking during Abegetutu Consultative Forum – at Monarc Hotel in Mosocho – the Senator, alongside Kitutu Chache North MP Anthony Kibagendi and Japhet Nyakundi, said that they have a stake in the leadership of the county regarding county staff employment. They reminded the Kisii County Governor Simba Arati of their role in making sure that he clinched the seat in the last general election. “We campaigned for him and as such, we have a stake. The dilemma is that he turns down any requests we make to him. He has not considered a single soul from here,” Onyonka said.
But the governor’s allies did not let the attacks on their leader go just like that. They were equally ready to respond to the criticisms. Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) castigated the legislators, saying that they (Onyonka and the other two Members of Parliament) had not given them time to properly overnight the workings of the County.
“We did not expect to begin arguing about seats in the ward or constituency, he (Onyonka) is a leader who should be uniting us, not dividing us,” the MCAs said in a joint statement read by Tabaka MCA Jimmy Kenyanya. The MCAs said that it is just two months since they started to work, saying that it was now immature to start blaming them that they have reneged on their oversighting role.
It should be remembered that Senator Richard Onyonka and now Kisii County Governor Mr Simba Arati were the best of friends during the last general election. Both leaders were sponsored by Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), under the umbrella of Azimio la Umoja coalition party.
