DP Kindiki returns to lower Eastern as Machakos leader blasts fundraisers
By Gastone Valusi and Paul Mutua, June 26, 2025Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi has compared the ongoing women and youth empowerment program spearheaded by Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki to the YK 92 movement that eventually shattered the country’s economy.
He said the program being undertaken across the country by Prof Kindiki and some close allies of President William Ruto would entrench the culture of tokenism and handouts that the late President Mwai Kibaki had successfully fought.
“This is a political manipulation strategy aimed at swaying the public ahead of the 2027 general election. We are obviously falling into the trap of the YK 92 movement that later crippled the country’s economy,” Mwangangi.
Public funds
According to Mwangangi, the government should follow the laid-down procedures of disbursing funds to the public and desist from turning public funds into a form of tokenism and handouts to people in areas perceived to be government-friendly.
“Such monies should be channelled in the right path to serve the true purpose and not through such back doors for political gain,” he said.
He called upon the President to intervene and stop the unwarranted wastage of public resources, and that due process be used for the allocation of such funds.
Mwangangi accused President Ruto and his government of allegedly pushing Kenyans into poverty in order to take advantage of their desperation for survival, the same way former President the late Daniel arap Moi did during his 24-year reign.
“It is unfortunate that President Ruto wants Kenyans to survive on handouts for his political survival. Why are they purporting to empower people through handouts, yet there are several channels such as counties, women and youth funds, and the Hustlers Fund?” he questioned.
Lack of strategy
He claimed that President Ruto seems to have ascended to the topmost seat in the country without any strategy, vision and agenda for Kenyans, as every program that he attempts to embark on ends in disarray.
Mwangangi cited the Social Health Insurance, the Affordable Housing scheme and the new university funding model as some of the projects that have only left a sour taste in the minds of Kenyans.
He advised DP Kindiki to stop shedding crocodile tears by wooing Kalonzo Musyoka to their team, for what he knows can’t work.
“With all respect, let me advise the senior professor of the law to keep his hands off Kalonzo because the game he’s playing is futile,” he said.
The Deputy Governor told Kindiki that if he feels the Wiper party leader should ditch his team and join him, he should show real empowerment and development projects.
“The way things have reached, neither Kalonzo nor anybody else from his team can dare cross over to a sinking ship,” he exclaimed.
He said the government has the mandate and responsibility to deliver services to Kenyans equally without any discrimination based on who either voted for them or did not vote for them.
At the same time, Mwangangi says the move by the National Assembly and Senate to allocate county governments Ksh415 billion in the current financial year is a betrayal of devolution.
Mwangangi says the Ksh415 billion falls short of the constitutional threshold and threatens to stall essential services and grassroots development projects undertaken by the devolved units.
Mwangangi said that counties ought to have been allocated at least Ksh2 trillion out of the total budget of Ksh4.2 trillion to reflect the principles of equitable development.
He says that several functions and responsibilities requiring money have been devolved to counties and thus the decision by the National Assembly and Senate to underfund them would only cripple devolution efforts.
He said the two houses should have reasoned beyond any influence to allocate what was due for the counties.
DP Kindiki is expected to lead the Kenya Kwanza delegation to Ukambani in another move to clip the political wings of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, neutralise and contain his forays in the region ahead of the 2027 elections.
Prof Kindiki will visit Wiper’s Stephen Mule’s Matungulu constituency today, June 26, 2025, and Erastus Kivasu’s Mbooni (Friday, June 27, 2025) and on Saturday, June 28, 2025, Patrick Makau’s Mavoko in Athi River, in what is seen as a clear indicator to politically strip naked Kalonzo and segregate him with voters.
It is viewed that allies of President William Ruto have run scared should the former Vice President fail to cut political ties, preferably with the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, and join the government’s side.
The DP will preside over fundraisers for women’s groups in the two constituencies.
Amicable sources that attended a consultative forum of MCAs drawn from Kitui, Machakos and Makueni counties at the DP’s Karen residence on Monday said Kindiki told ward representatives that he will embark on the tour to champion unity of purpose and rally the residents behind a broad-based ideology for better living.
“There is an urgent need to expedite key national laws to enhance County Assemblies, ensure their independence and improve the working conditions of their members, as a vital step toward reinforcing the role of devolution in the nation’s progress,” the DP reportedly said.