Natembeya’s Claims That Gachagua Was Undermining His Leadership Did Not Hold Any Water

By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga

Worth Noting:

• The governor alleged this is where the rains started beating me. I did not attend the meeting. This was not because of disrespecting the President. I had not been invited. If I gatecrashed I would not be in this trouble. I regret why I did not do this, he claimed.
• Since then, my deputy become big headed. I have not been seeing reporting to her office.
• Natembeya further stated. She was among top county executives drawn from various counties who had attended the recent high profile meeting of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held in New York in America. Six governors were in that delegation.

Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya told the Senate Committee a few days ago that he was having a strained relationship with his deputy Ms Philomenah Kipkory.

He dropped the name of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and alleged that he was behind his woes.

My deputy started defying me following the statement made by DP in August this year.

The DP who had accompanied President William Ruto during a working tour in Western had rallied the regional leaders to attend a Presidential meeting in Kakamega State Lodge.

He had warned those who will not turn up that the national government will not take the matter lightly.

We shall assume that you are not willing to work with us and you out to sabotage projects and programmes we were launching and commissioning.

The governor alleged this is where the rains started beating me.  I did not attend the meeting. This was not because of disrespecting the President. I had not been invited. If I gatecrashed I would not be in this trouble. I regret why I did not do this, he claimed.

Since then, my deputy become big headed. I have not been seeing reporting to her office.

Natembeya further stated. She was among top county executives drawn from various counties who had attended the recent high profile meeting of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held in New York in America. Six governors were in that delegation.

I had told her not to attend this meeting because the forum will not add any value to our county of Trans Nzoia. She declined.

As a writer and political analyst, I stepped out to seek the views of a cross section of residents in Githurai estate.

Majority of them averred that  Natembeya’s remarks reeked of hypocrisy, malice, envy and seniority complex.

The governor believed that he was the most senior leader and as such he is one who was supposed to represent the county at UNGA meeting.

Six governors attended the forum. So alleging that the forum would not add any value to the counties, this would amount to insulting his colleagues.

This would be interpreted to mean they had gone there for joy ridding and luxuries.

It was also wrong to drag the name of DP Gachagua.

As enshrined in Article 147 of the Constitution, the role of DP is very clear. He is the Principal Assistant to the President and this places him in the position of the second-in-command.

Given this scenario, the responsibility of mobilizing the local leaders to attend the Kakamega meeting lied squarely with him.

The main agenda of this meeting revolved around matters of development.

If you did not attend it, then it means you had a hidden agenda.

As we know, Natembeya was elected on a ticket of the DAP-K, an affiliate party of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition.

The party is led by former Defense Minister Eugene Wamalwa, a key ally and confidante of Azimio’s defacto leader Raila Odinga. Could this be the reason why Natembeya snubbed the meeting?

It is hard to believe he had not been invited.

The position of President William Ruto’s administration has remained clear. Elections were over and behind us.  This was the time for all leaders of all political persuasions to join hands and fulfill the pre-election promises.

But Azimio leader had never recovered from the devastating loss he suffered during the election.

Dr Ruto’s working tour of Western came at a time when he was still in a combative mood.

In trying to further justify his misconceived claims that the DP was undermining his authority, I heard Natembeya saying this.

The invitation letter for his deputy governor to attend the UNGA meeting came through the office of DP.

Gachagua is there to help the President. So, writing and sending invitations to the state officials who will accompany his boss in such trips is part of his job descriptions.

During the session with the Senate, the governor had also attributed his woes to multi-ethnic wars.

He did not dwell much on this issue. But to me, this was main cause of his woes.

For starters, Trans Nzoia is a cosmopolitan county which means it is populated by all the communities.

One would expect Natembeya to change his style of leadership if he wants to survive.

He should shed off his arrogance, pride and stop looking for scapegoat. Instead, he must cultivate a cordial working relationship with the county MCAs and other elected local leaders.

Besides, he should treat all communities equally and with decorum and utmost respect.

Otherwise, blaming Gachagua will not help you. You may be trumpeting for political forces opposing DP in Western.

If this is true, be wary. You are greenhorn in politics. Those using you are veterans. They thrive in politics of Use and Dump.

Joseph Mutua Ndonga Is A Writer And Political Analyst Based In Nairobi