Kisii Governor Simba Arati Friday scoffed off the alleged bid by former Governor James Ongwae to sponsor former Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital boss Dr Enoch Ondari to run against him in the 2027 polls.
He said he was not a coward and dared those who want to challenge him in the 2027 polls to make good of their threats.
“This seat is open to all, to those who feell can challenge me just come, let’s meet in the ballot that time,” the governor said at a burial in Magenche in Bomachoge Borabu.
He told mourners that to ‘gleefully partake money dished out to them during the campaigns’ because it was ‘stolen’ from them in the first place.
“I have been told they have set aside Sh250 million… Just receive it….. It is your money anyway,” Arati said laughing off the efforts to remove him from office.
The County boss spoke defending himself amid a growing wave of protests from some local residents now faulting his development score.
For more than a month, the governor had also been battling torrents of criticism from online activists.
Samuel Okemwa, a former senatorial candidate turned activist had been doing facility visits to various hospitals poking holes on lack of drugs at the facilties.
At Masimba Sub-County Hospital, Okemwa said Friday he was appalled by the poor standards of beddings at the maternity wards.
He apoke of empty shelves at the drug stores, days after drugs worth more than Sh 68 m were flagged off to hospitals across the region .
On Monday, forner Kisii Governor James Ongwae criticized Arati saying he has not added even a single chair to many of the flagship facilties he did while in office.
County Senator Richard Onyonka also iendorsed Dr Ondari urging him to be the torch bearer from Bobasi and thus ‘finish the race for governorship’ adding that the incumbent has failed.
Arati hails from Bobasi.
County Woman Rep Donya Toto accused Arati of ‘lacking credible academic papers’ to run the devolved unit sparking momentary fracas at the funeral.
On Friday, however, Arati scoffed the bid by the three to coalesce forces around Dr Ondari to challenge him in 2027.
“I have heard some people say the lamp (reffering to himself) has gone out. They are wrong, tell them to expect electricity now going forward,” Arati stated.
And speaking in Sameta in Ogembo, the governor separately ordered for the filling up of a quarry where a boy drowned Wednesday.
The deceased ‘s body was retrieved by the County’s disaster officials Wednesday night after day long frantic efforts.