Governor Simba Arati Thursday cited his marriage to a foreigner among many reasons Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka was unhappy with him. Arati who appeared before the Senate’s Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations Committee meeting accused Onyonka of constantly going personal in his oversight of role of him. So deep rooted are Onyonka’s personal biases, stated Arati, that he was not even happy with ‘my marriage to a Chinese wife’. Onyonka, however, said he found the accusations ‘ troubling, grotesque, wild and playing into the comedy gallery’. “I actually have no issue with the governor’s Chinese wife,” he stated. The Governor was…
Author: Magati Obebo
A caucus of Bobasi Ward Reps in Kisii want Governor Simba Arati to resign from office citing luck lustre performance in his two years in office. Speaking Friday, the MCAs unanimously resolved to withdraw their support from him describing him as a flop. “When you went round asking people to vote you as governor, you should should have known what you were going to do. If you’re not able to execute development , if you’re not able to fulfill the promises that you gave to the people, kindly resign and go home so that people would have another opportunity to…
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka Thursday accused a local politician of bank rolling violent extremism in the region. He placed the same politician at the centre of Tuesday afternoon chaos and destruction of the building housing Kisii Woman Rep Donya Toto offices. At least 17 suspects, among them a Ward Representative, have since been arrested and arraigned for malicious damage to property. The suspects would return to court on December 4 for a mention and were were released on Sh10,000 cash bail each. And shortly after the ruling, at least three Ward Reps from Bobasi reported being assaulted by goons as…
Kisii Deputy Speaker Jacob Bagaka has denied claims that he sponsored attacks on three colleagues attending a funeral in his Ward Wednesday after. Instead, the Masige West Ward Representative said the utterances by MCAs Michael Motume (Masige East), Thomas Obare (Bassi Boitangare) and Naftal Onkoba (Nyacheki) attracted wrath from Governor Simba Arati supporters who were at the scene. “I was not in my ward throughout Wednesday, the day they are claiming they visited there but i gather they had lashed out at the governor when they were given chance to condole the visited family,” Bagaka spoke by phone early Thursday.…
A visit by three Kisii Ward Representatives to a funeral in Bobasi Wednesday afternoon nearly turned tragic after armed goons waylaid and attacked them with crude weapons. The three – Michael Motume (Masige East ) Naftal Onkoba (Nyacheki) and Thomas Obare (Boitangare) said they escaped death by a whisker during the late Wednesday incident in Masige West Ward. They said only when they collectively decided to face off the goons they were able to get off danger. With the help of some youth keeping vigil at the bereaved family, the three were rescued and escorted out. “We could be in…
A Kisii Ward Representative was Wednesday arraigned for malicious damage to property. Gaudencia Omariba was arraigned alongside 16 youths rounded up by police late Tuesday. They were earlier taken in for questioning in connection with to a raid at Kisii Woman Representative Donya Toto’s offices before being arraigned Wednesday afternoon. Among the suspects were two high school students out on vacation and a male suspect with sight challenges. Property worth Sh200,000 was vandalized, prosecution told the court. They were charged with the offence of malicious damage to property contrary to Section 339(1) of the Penal Code. The particulars were that…
Women Representatives visiting Kisii Monday said Female Genital Mutilation still constitutes a big threat to the general wellbeing of the girl child. The war against the vice, the leaders observed, was far from being won calling for sustained efforts in addressing the problem. “Beyond public utterances made from forums like this, let’s increase surveillance in the villages so that we can bring this to an end,” Donya Toto asked villagers at Gesieka area in Kitutu Chache North in Kisii. Migori Woman Rep Fatuma Mohamed said FGM leaves scars that haunt girls into their adulthood. She fingered women as the main…
Authorities in Kisii say more health staff are set for recruitment to shore up the existing shortage. County Health Executive Ronald Nyakweba said already plans are afoot to do an advert for the same. The advert would be out as early as next week, he told journalists. “Recruiting more nurses and doctors is testament to our Governor’s effort in increasing access to affordable health care for our people,” stated Nyakweba. He spoke early Monday when he flagged off drug haul costing Sh68 m to more than 160 hospitals across the County. Three agencies, among them Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA),…
Senator Richard Onyonka wants Governor Simba Arati to explain the expenditure of Sh24 billion disbursed for two years from Treasury to Kisii. Onyonka further clarified that his push for political hygiene in the regional administration was not premised on politics of hatred but the need to make the combative Kisii County boss accountable. “I am not against him for those peddling such a narrative, am only vouching for responsibility and accountability on him to perform,” stated Onyonka. Senator Onyonka was speaking exclusively Monday to this journalist in a phone interview. The two leaders- Onyonka and Arati – had in the…
Kisii Governor Simba Arati was Wednesday flagged by the Senate for disparaging the House Committee summons. Also fingered was Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo. So worrying is the trend that Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said they are mulling using the police to forcefully escort the pair during the next summons if need. “It shows great contempt and if it is getting this low we can ask the Inspector General of Police to bring them to these sitings,” Cherargei warned. Cherargei had tabled a statement in the House Wednesday morning to address the persistent abscondments by two governors from committee invitations. Many…
Gusii leaders meeting in Nairobi Wednesday said they are ready to unite and champion the community’s development agenda together. It is the second attempt by leaders from the region to advance Omogusii unity after the first flopped in 2018. The meeting at Serena Hotel in Nairobi brought together Members of Parliament, Senators, and other leaders from both Kisii and Nyamira counties. They said they are determined to prioritize the needs of the residents. They would further strategize on leveraging government support under the new broad-based political alignment. Senator Richard Onyonka, a key figure in the meeting, expressed optimism about the…
At least 19 teachers invigilating ongoing national exams at a school in Bobachoge Borabu in Kisii County were Tuesday interdicted following the discovery of more than 30 phones at the exam centre. Kebabe SDA secondary school principal and his deputy are among those interdicted as officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations started a probe. A staggering cluster of 31 phones were seized from the school’s boys dormitory. An additional three others were recovered inside the exam room, officials said. Also impounded were short notes which were handed over to the detectives. A police report said a Kenya National Examination…
Some Kisii County Ward Representatives want Kisii Governor Simba Arati to direct more efforts towards improving service delivery across health facilities in the region. The Ward Reps decried what they termed as the deteriorating level of health care at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital. Services at the facility, they added, were deteriorating at each passing day causing agony to patients seeking treatment there. Nominees Lilian Gor and Dolphine Bwari said Kisii residents deserve more than lip services. “As an assembly we allocate Sh4 billion of the Sh13 billion of the shared revenue to the health sector. It startles greatly…
ODM party chair Simba Arati says the party would still field a candidate against President William Ruto in 2027 adding they are optimistic they would floor the United Democratic Alliance candidate in the polls. “Yes, as we do the membership registration the focus still remains the same, going for the top job and am sure we shall defeat them,” the Kisii Governor spoke at a burial in Kisii. “We have to try them… We must and we shall emerge winners this time,” Arati told mourners in Bonchari. The party plans to undertake massive registration from 27 this month across the…
A local construction agency Monday dismissed talk that its affordable projects in Nairobi had stalled. Jobavu Village Limited top officials instead said the firm’s operations were steadily on on course contrary to reports in a section of the local media. Among projects cited as stalled were Jeevanjee Housing estate in Ngara Estate. The agency said the project was firmly on course further dispelling media reports of stalling. . It also denied using a title deed belonging to Nairobi County Council to procure a loan for the projects.. “We want to clarify that project is still on despite initial delays caused…