Up Close with the 5 candidates seeking Machakos County's top job

Machakos ... a scenic rural county of undulating hills; on one hand untold stories of abject poverty; on the other hand, the lingering potential that comes with a metropolis linked to Nairobi, teeming with the concentration of housing and factories.

The 2022 poll has attracted an unprecedented number of strong candidates for gubernatorial positions.

Our spotlight is on Machakos County, and here, the governor’s seat has attracted five candidates.

A battery of Machakos governor hopefuls have lined up to succeed governor Alfred Mutua who is serving his second and final term in office.

Nzioka Waita resigned his job as state house chief of staff, to try his hand at politics.

 “I'd like to do this Job because I've been in the field of development now for the last seven years helping the national government to plan and execute development projects across the country,” Waita tells Citizen TV.

Former Machakos senator Johnson Muthama and UDA chair is also in the race after declining to defend his senate seat in 2017.

 “Machakos people want to elect a governor who will serve them...they know my performance as mp they know my performance as senator they have my track record,” Muthama says.

Former CAS in the transport & infrastructure ministry Wavinya Ndeti is no stranger to Machakos politics.

She lists her career in plum government jobs as testimony that she is cut out for the job.

“I've been an MP for Kathiani and when I was MP for Kathiani and Mavoko now I became number one on utilisation of tax payers money...I was also assistant minister in youth affairs and sports...I was also in charge of NYS,” Wavinya tables her qualifications for the top seat.

Deputy Governor Francis Maliti is among those vying to succeed his boss, Governor Alfred Mutua.

He believes his 31-years in the Public Service is the silver bullet for Machakos problems.

“My long service of 9 years in Machakos County has made me interact with the people of Machakos. I have an extensive experience in public service for 31 years I Rose to become director vision 2030 I will bring that experience to Machakos County. Hii kazi ni kujituma you are not going to be elected and sit in the office like a big boss,” he says.

The fifth candidate is Rose Mulwa of the Empowerment and Liberation Party (ELP, who says her instinct as a mother will come in handy in delivery of service to all, equally.

“I'm the best candidate because I am approachable, accountable, responsible...being a woman I believe women are very merciful when she gives birth whether to a thief or a prostitute she distributes food equally,” she says.

A decade after the 2010 Kenyan constitution devolved responsibility for water supply and sanitation services to the county level access to water remains a major challenge in Machakos county.

 “No wonder the spread of COVID-19 was so high in Machakos. Imagine no water in hospitals no water in markets,” Mulwa adds

With no water the county logically then grapples with food insecurity.

One of the candidates whose manifesto is heavy on providing water for the residents of the county is Wavinya Ndeti.

“Water is key for me. It is key why with water people are able to get good health by feeding well. I want to provide clean water and also fix the problem of the sewer system which is being directed to the rivers people are drinking dirty water,” Wavinya says.

“We need to provide dams in every sub-county and treatment plants. We have to be careful with drilling boreholes to ensure water tables don't go low.,”

Elsewhere Muthama has a different trick up his sleeves in ensuring that residents of Machakos access clean water.

Cleaning up River Athi and making its waters safe is among the proposals in his Manifesto.

“We have a natural resource which is Athi River yet we have allowed Nairobi County to dump waste there I want Athi River to be cleaned out of pollution and that water to be made useful,” Muthama says.

Ten years of devolution have been a mixed bag for Machakos.

And yet Machakos governor Alfred Mutua’s deputy governor Francis Maliti says he will build on his boss's legacy if he wins in August.

“We need to look at sectors which will make other sectors grow our economy is Agro-based every other Kenyan will tell you I do farming we have comparative advantage of land mass stand human resource we have not harnessed that into a policy regime that serves as an incentive to investors to come invest,” Maliti says.

All five candidates promise to offer solutions to perennial issues; Healthcare being a key priority.

All the candidates promise to revolutionise the healthcare in the county which they deem deplorable.

Rose Mulwa says the situation is so bad patients in Masinga sometime go to Muranga, Kiambu or Kitui for health services.

One of the issue that beleaguers the healthcare system in the county, she says is the scarcity of medicine or even basic gloves in most hospitals within the county.

According to Waita, the Healthcare system in the county needs a shot in the arm, he cites the recent strike at Kangundo Level 5 hospital, where staffers protested the delay of their salaries for over eight months by county. 

He wonders how that happens yet the county has the resources to settle the workers’ wages.

The county’s agricultural production is dominated by cereals with dwindling yields. As such Machakos remains a food insecure county.

According to Waita, Machakos, Matungulu and Kathiani are all ripe for coffee, and part of his plan is to revive the coffee sector within the county.

Machakos, Matungulu, Kathiani this is coffee country. Thousands of acres have coffee just neglected we've seen a revival in Central Kenya we need to bring the learnings from there here,” Waita says.

On the other hand, Wavinya plans to revive fruit farming in the county, and to prioritise value addition, such as production of fruit jam.

Mulwa on the other hand says her government will buy farm produce from farmers for storage in silos to ensure food security.

Come august 9th the people of Machakos county will decide which way Machakos?