Ndeti's cabinet nominee snubs big seat, skips assembly vetting

By Anchor Writer 

Governor Wavinya Ndeti's cabinet nominee for water and irrigation  Elizabeth Katile Mutua has snubbed the appointment.

Kalekye's snub was announced on the floor of the Machakos County Assembly  by Majority Leader Nicholas Nzioka.

Nzioka submitted names of three other nominees who were approved by the assembly without that of the nominee for the water docket.

Assembly sources say Katile, who had been invited to appear before the Assembly’s Appointments Committee along with the three, failed to return papers ahead of the vetting date set for June 10,2024.

They all had been nominated by Governor Wavinya and a notice published for their vetting. They were expected to present their credentials to the assembly for scrutiny ahead of  the vetting. 

Efforts to verify who indeed Katile is did not go far. A search through Google shows a lady with a similar name, having done a research paper at SEKU University on perceived effects of tuition on pupils.

Katile was projected to take over from Acting CECM Catherine Mutanu, who was moved to the Agriculture docket two months ago.

Observers suspect that Katile may have grown cold feet at some point after seeing the raising cabinet blood-letting in Wavinya's 22 month old administration.

Three ministers have exited so far -  Mr. Sky Muasya (Education), Philip Kilonzo ( Lands) and recently Joyce Mwikali Muindi       (Devolution)

The three nominees  approved by the Assembly are

Joyce Wairimu Gituro- Chief Officer - Public Communications.

Dr. Julianne Ndunge Wambua-Water and Irrigation,

and Mr Francis Musembi Munyambu- Inspectorate, Fire Fighting and Emergency Services.

Gituro, formerly a broadcast journalist with Royal Media Services, succeeds Daniel Mule, who quit without explanation. Ndunge also replaced one of the first chief officers under Wavinya to quit.

Munyambu, a former Nairobi police chief, replaced the Col Mbithi Wathi who was moved from the post the day Mwikali was quietly left out of government. She resigned late last month.

County stops staff deployments

By Martin Masai                                 

Machakos County government has halted deployment of staff without the authority of the county secretary Dr Muya Ndambuki.

The clampdown comes as over enthusiastic Chief Officers embarked on frequent tranfers to flex their authority, particularly within the ministry of finance.

" Effective immediately, do not issue any deployment letters until further notice from this office" ordered Dr Ndambuki, who also is the Head of the County Public Service. 

The letter to all Chief Officers went on " Please prepare a report of all deployed officers by your offices from August 2022 todate, including name,  date of employment, position at employment, position deployed as, location, date of deployment (and) name of supervisor after deployment ". The reports were due on June 10, 2024. We were not able to verify compliance with this edict.

The order comes as revenue officers were being moved again after an initial shake-up that followed the employment of over 400 officials.

The order by Dr. Ndambuki comes as nine senior revenue officials of the Machakos County Government are holding their breaths as they end three months without assignment.

Sources within the governor's office say the memo from Ndambuki was initially contemplated when Director of Enforcement Francis Munyambu ordered transfers of 11 enforcement officers within a week of his appointment- meaning he knew very little about the department.

The letter by Munyambu,purporting to be Chief Officer for Inspectorate  Enforcement and Fire Fighting, was curiously signed for him by his son, who, incidentally, is the Deputy Commander of the County Inspectorate!

At the time, the CO'S office was vacant after its occupant- Col(Rtd) Mbithi Wathi was moved to the Innovation docket after a physical encounter with Majority Leader Nicholas Nzioka at the Devolved Units offices.

Dr.Ndambuki the swiftly  appointed Mercy Mutua to act as CO and halted the transfers. A recruitment process for a chief officer is currently under way, and Munyambu, a former Nairobi police chief and senator aspirant for Machakos, is billed to take the post.

The CS sent the memo to halt new deployment as the new Chief Officer for Revenue Collection Zipporah Mutunga, and the new Director of Revenue Otieno Otieno went around the Sub Counties introducing the newly deployed officials.

The nine officials were recalled from their stations without any reason provided. The Anchor has established that Finance Minister Onesmus Kuya had identified them as the reason the county was unable to raise its Kes 4 bn own Revenue target.

" He gave us no reason. He remained adamant that they must go, along with former Chief Officer Mike Senga, so that he has complete control in revenuecollection, " said a colleague of Kuyu who prefers to remain unnamed.

Mr Kuyu told the Anchor that the officials' fate is in the hands of the CS. " He is the one who deploys public servants, not me," he said.

An inquiry by The Anchor at the County Public Service Board found that the county establishment still has the position of Senior Revenue Officers (SROs)- whose role is clearly described. 

This flies in the face of claims by Mr Kuyu in a WhatsApp post to officials that the post and level of SROs (Senior Revenue Officers) has been temporarily suspended.

Since the recall, the role is performed by Ward Administrators and  Coordinators.The cordinators are cadre of political operatives that Governor Wavinya Ndeti is still trying to fit into her government as a reward to their loyalty during her campaigns. 

Both groups do not have any training or knowledge on revenue collection.

Since the recall, one of the officials has since retired.The other officials, who are permanent and pensionable, are also nearing retirement. They await their fate with each new day.Sources say the officials routinely show their faces at the County Headquarters to remind officialdom that they are still waiting out there.

Wavinya's second shuffle in a day

By Anchor Reporter 

Governor Wavinya Ndeti today executed a second reorganisation of her government,  just hours after the first one.

It was her third action in 'reorganising' her government within two months, a clear indication of  a stability deficit in the 19- month old administration.

In the latest move, the governor swapped Chief Officer Medical Services Dr Wycliffe Miyienda with Roads and Transport Chief Officer Mr Justus Kasivu.

No reason was given for the movements that are seen as disjointed and haphazard.

Earlier in the day,Wavinya appointed Mr Kasivu as Acting Chief Officer for Climate Change in changes that affected four other Chief Officers, leaving one- Maureen Mwende who was suspended for 10 some two weeks ago- jobless.

The Anchor has established that the new movements come as Ms Mwende was awaiting a response to a Show Cause Letter that accused her of missing critical meetings and failing to show leadership as Chief Officer for Education. 

But yesterday's list of a ' reorganised government listed her as outgoing ECDE Chief Officer.

So what exactly led to her suspension?

How many meetings did she miss, and where were these meetings?

So was she the Education or ECDE chief officer? 

 The Anchor is piecing together an explosive account of the actual reasons for her suspension.

Read the earlier story elsewhere in this online edition of The Anchor 

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ABC Prelate expells Wiper MCA

By The Anchor Writer

Nominated Wiper Member of the Machakos County Assembly  Dee Kivuva was on Sunday excommunicated from the African Brotherhood Church.

Dr. Timothy Ndambuki

Dee was expelled from the church following his public appeal  last week, targeting the top hierarchy of the church against rampant demands for money from its congregations.

The forum - a burial ceremony for Machakos trader Jimmy Kathuli - was also attended by local leaders and clergy.

He pointedly urged the ABC church followers to warn the top leadership on the issue of asking for money so often.

Dee is an outspoken MCA and a long-term active member of the church whose wife is a high-ranking minister of the ABC.

Last sunday, the Church's Archbishop Dr. Timothy Ndambuki did not disguise his rage towards  Dee's utterances, which were made last Wednesday. 

He termed these utterances as a show of disrespect to the church and its leadership and swiftly declared that Dee had been excommunicated.

The church has an elaborate process it follows to excommunicate its members , and it appears that this may not have been followed. 

It exposes Dr. Ndambuki's rising intolerance to criticism at a time observers are murmering against a spirited scheme to install his wife, who presided over the burial, as his possible successor. She is currently the ABC Bishop of Nairobi.

Archbishop Ndambuki went further to fire a salvo at the Wiper party, saying Dee's behaviour is characteristic of the party, adding that his personal matters were at some point discussed by some members of this party, whom he did not name. He cited this as a reason why he does not get along with Wiper these days. 

He left the congregation wondering if the excommunication was based on broken church rules, political or just parochial. 

Dee is known as Kalonzo Musyoka's hatchet man, and it is most likely that the jibe against Wiper is aimed at the top party brass.

Makueni Wiper MCAs oust entire leadership

CHANGE OF GUARD.

By Our Reporter. 

Disruptions today marred Makueni County Assembly proceedings following  the Wiper Party leadership row in the Assembly. 

Mr Mbilu

Drama  unfolded in the chamber  as  the drastic changes were made by majority Wiper Members in Makueni Assembly who ousted Majority Leader Kyalo Mumo and his entire  team

Kithungo Kitundu  Ward MCA Kisungu  Katete was elected  new Majority  Leader  as Ilima Ward MCA Bishop  Jonathan Muthoka replaced Kilili Ward MCA Francis Munyao alias Musso as Deputy Majority Leader.

Joyce Mutua,a nominated MCA, was elected new Whip while Kathonzweni MCA Benedict Maneno elected deputy Majority Whip. 

The new team served the Assembly Speaker  Douglas Mbilu with the new changes. 

Speaking to The Anchor, the new team accused the outgoing team of nepotism, corruption, and missuse of power. 

In addition, they accused the former leadership of dining with the UDA party and going to bed with Makueni  executive.

Riot as tout dies in county office

By The Anchor Writer 

The Machakos County Inspectorate is on the sportlight again today after a tout committed suicide in unclear circumstances in their office.

The room in which the tout died

This is the second incident putting the inspectorate officers on the spot this year,with the  first incident being an attack to the Kalama Legislator Musyimi Maeke at the Machakos Courts premises.The matter that is still in court.

Askaris at Machakos bus park area arrested the tout earlier in the day  for unspecified reasons.

When the tout was last arrested,he protested,saying that the next time he is arrested, he would commit suicide.

His colleagues allege that the askaris habitually detain the tout and release him without any charges, and they are therefore not surprised that he dramatically kept his promise today by taking his life.

It is alleged that he used his belt as a noose, and his trousers dropped off as a sequel. 

It is mysterious how he managed to commit suicide in a room where the askaris use as a resting area as well as a base.

The door to the room is directly at the back of askaris, who lift off the barrier to let out matatus after confirming that they have paid daily fees.

The tout who has been working in this area for a long time is on record, claiming that the inspectorate officers here have been harrasing him.

Pandemonium broke out at the park with irate residents demanding  to know  why the deceased was arrested and the procedures  used to process his case.

Touts started searching for an Askari named Tyson, who is said to be the one behind this.

By this time,the Askaris vanished as police used tear gas to disperse protestors.

Machakos County Secretary Dr.Muya Ndambuki told a media briefing that he has interdicted the officer in question,adding that investigations are underway.

Dr Ndambuki 

This comes as the Inspectorate is in search of a new Chief Officer after the previous one Col. Wathi Mbithi,was removed after a fight with the County Majority Leader Nicholas Nzioka.

Informed sources say the Director of the Inspectorate Francis Munyambu has been fingered by Governor Wavinya Ndeti to be the next Chief Officer. 

Battle over land rages

By The Anchor Writer

A sweeping investigation is underway at the Department of Lands following the suspension of three officials over fraudulent approvals and suspected rampant corruption. 

The public notice

The officials- Hilda Ngina Mulatya, a Surveyor Assistant III, Antony Maingi Wambua- a Planning Assistant II, and Joel Kieti Francis a Works Officer 1  were suspended and a public notice published in a local daily warning citizens not to transact county business with them. 

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has netted a cache of over 200 documents with signatures of approval by the suspended officials that have enabled fraudsters to grab private and public land in Mavoko Sub County where they were based.

The signatures have approved building plans,payment of understated rates,construction of perimeter walls and other allied requirements that ought to earn the county government millions in revenues. 

The officials, though relatively junior, are alleged to have transacted various lucrative approvals for that ought to have been approved by their superiors- a matter that exposes the county's accountability actions on land transactions. 

To demonstrate the extent of their powers, a 183 hectares- designated as Mavoko Dumping Site within Mulinge Scheme- was approved for construction of a perimeter fence by one Omar Haji Hassan. 

   The plan for Mulinge Scheme 

It was after the fencing that the County Government of Machakos moved in and demolished part of the wall, triggering a daggers-drawn setting that underlines the state of matters at the Department.

The spirited fight has set cartels treading their guns on Lands Minister Nathaniel Nganga.

It transpires that Hassan had approvals by Mr Wambua, acting on behalf of the County Director of Physical Planning Mr. Ingati Ajanga.

Our sources say the extent of land fraud in Mavoko- targeting public land - is deep rooted and well connected- from brokers, officials, MCAs, through to operators in the governor's office. The currency of the fight is cash, driven by a get-rich-quick mantra. 

The impact of the approval given to the Mulinge Scheme property resulted in giving Hassan the impetus to present a title suspected to be fake, pay rates for the property, construct a fence arround the 183 hectares and begin to behave as bona-fide owner. 

This also comes with extremely reduced rates that are informed by bribes that reach and sometimes skip players in the entire value chain. 

 We have also established that the bold cartels are fighting a decision to centralise approvals for building plans in Mr Ingati's office- a decision made by Mr Nganga- which is fueling the fight, even when the move was made to avert the raging fraud. 

The suspended officials have disowned the signatures that are on the documents under DCI scrutiny.If then it turns to be true that the signatures are fake, it is alarming that land gangsters have toppled order within the Machakos County Government.It may also turn out to be that corruption officials forge signatures of their colleagues to outdo one another. 

 The entire saga is punctuated by big money, sex and brinkmanship,with players dropping names such as that of one 'Prince Charles' to attempt to sway the probe and transfer officials who impede operations along the crooked path.

 The Anchor was told of a trail of sms with texts that have been sent to Governor Wavinya Ndeti, accusing other top officials of sex entreats and complicity in land fraud in Mavoko.

 The investigation is also targeting the lifestyles of the officials who have acquired big properties and live large despite earning salaries in the range of Kes 40,000. Land under investigation includes blocks set for public utilities such as schools, hospitals and Social halls.