This archive report was first published on 30 August 2019.
On August 30, 2019, Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana made a bold statement, vowing to mobilize Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) across the Country to reject the Punguza Mzigo bill and the building the bridges initiative recommendations.
Speaking during a meeting with a delegation of leaders from Western Kenya led by ANC Party leader Musalia Mudavadi, Kibwana expressed his opposition to the Punguza Mzigo initiative, stating that it should focus on fighting corruption and prudent use of resources, rather than reducing representation, especially for women.
Instead, Kibwana and Mudavadi pledged their support for the Ugatuzi initiative, which aims to enhance allocations to County Governments and ensure timely remittances. They also vowed to collect the requisite 1 million signatures to push for the initiative.
Kibwana criticized the National Assembly and the Senate for their continued supremacy wars, which he said were negatively affecting devolution. He warned that failure to agree on the Division of Revenue bill would leave Counties without funds for development, and threatened that Counties would shut down if the impasse wasn't solved immediately.
Mudavadi expressed his party's support for the Ugatuzi initiative, stating that they would oppose any recommendations that threatened devolution. He also raised concerns about the collapse of industries in some regions due to mismanagement, and questioned why graduates in Western Kenya had no jobs.
