A section of Kisii MCAs has intensified pressure on Governor Simba Arati over stalled development projects, poor roads and alleged delays in implementing programmes for which funds have already been approved. The ward representatives protested on Saturday, accusing the county administration of failing to prioritise service delivery and leaving residents to grapple with deteriorating infrastructure and incomplete projects. Masimba MCA Bouse Mairura said residents in his ward were bearing the brunt of stalled projects, impassable roads and what he described as a lack of urgency in addressing basic development needs. Mairura singled out road maintenance, saying the County Assembly had…
Author: Magati Obebo
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has warned politicians against interfering with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), saying attempts to dictate how the electoral agency conducts its affairs could undermine public confidence in the 2027 General Election. Wetang’ula said politicians preparing to contest the 2027 elections should allow the commission to independently procure election technology and other materials required for the polls. His remarks come amid a growing political dispute over IEBC’s procurement of a new Integrated Elections Management System (IEMS), with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua alleging that the tender specifications had been designed to favour South Korean…
For more than two decades, Timothy Arege has built a formidable reputation in literary and academic circles, establishing himself as an author, scholar and educator whose work spans creative writing, Kiswahili scholarship and educational publishing. His literary portfolio includes Mstahiki Meya, a Swahili play that was once a high school set book. The work explores political themes including corruption, power and leadership and has been catalogued by university libraries and international library collections. Arege has also authored Kijiba cha Moyo, Chamchela, Kielezi cha Tungo, Majira ya Utasa and Duara, among other works. His bibliography stretches beyond creative literature. Library records…
Kisii University is set to receive a major boost in student accommodation with the construction of a 19-storey student village within the campus, Vice Chancellor Prof Nathan Ogechi has said. The high-rise facility is expected to provide much-needed accommodation for students as the institution expands its infrastructure and seeks to position itself as a world-class academic institution. Prof Ogechi said the Government-funded project, being undertaken under the affordable housing programme, would also transform the skyline of Kisii town and become the tallest building in the county capital once completed. Speaking on Tuesday during the university’s matriculation ceremony for newly admitted…
Kisii University Vice-Chancellor Prof Nathan Ogechi has warned newly admitted students against sexual predators, reckless relationships and peer pressure as they begin university life with greater freedom and independence. Speaking during the university’s freshman induction ceremony on Tuesday, Prof Ogechi urged the about 7,000 first-year students to exercise responsibility and remain vigilant as they adjust to life away from the close supervision of parents and guardians. The Vice-Chancellor used the phrase “Team Mafisi” to caution students against individuals who may prey on young people, particularly those who are inexperienced and financially or emotionally vulnerable. He told the students that university…
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has dug in on its demand for the Deputy President’s position in the emerging political partnership with President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration. ODM Deputy Party Chair and Kisii Governor Simba Arati said the party would not surrender its claim to the position, insisting that discussions on the sharing of power should focus on institutions rather than individuals. Arati said ODM was not targeting Deputy President Kithure Kindiki personally and urged him not to feel threatened by the party’s position. “Yes, we tell our brother Kindiki not to fear. He should only be aware of…
In the heat of Kenya’s emerging 2027 political contest, combative language can easily be mistaken for political courage. But for some voters, particularly older residents, insults and personal attacks are less a sign of political strength than an indication of poor political manners. That tension is increasingly visible around Dr Fred Matiang’i’s presidential campaign in his Gusii backyard, where some of his political surrogates have adopted a notably aggressive style of mobilisation. Matiang’i, the former Cabinet Secretary, has cultivated an image of a disciplined, firm and experienced administrator. Yet some of the campaigners championing his presidential bid are projecting a…
For more than 16 years, Kiamokama’s multimillion-shilling fresh produce market in Masaba South, Kisii County, has stood as a painful reminder of an ambitious public investment that never fulfilled its promise. The market was conceived as a modern agricultural trading centre that would connect farmers with traders, improve storage of perishable produce and give growers a better chance of securing fair prices for their harvest. Instead, the facility is deteriorating before the eyes of the very farmers it was intended to serve. Inside the market, expensive refrigerators are rusting away while sections of the roofing structure have decayed, allowing rainwater…
A political battle is brewing in Bonchari after an unusual campaign giveaway—women’s underwear—triggered sharp exchanges among rival political camps ahead of the 2027 elections. Women who attended a political gathering at Nyangoge Primary School expecting the familiar fare of campaign speeches, handshakes and promises instead received new underwear donated by Bonchari MP aspirant Donya Toto. What some beneficiaries viewed as a practical gift has since become a political flashpoint, with Ms Toto’s rivals accusing her of reducing campaigns to handouts rather than presenting voters with substantive policies and development plans. Toto, the incumbent Kisii Woman Representative, is seeking to shift…
A Kisii Member of County Assembly has criticised the branding of publicly funded county programmes and projects with the name “Etaya”, arguing that taxpayer-funded initiatives should not be personalised for political purposes. Bouse Mairura, the Masimba Ward MCA, said he supports programmes aimed at improving the lives of Kisii residents but insisted that projects funded through the county budget should be identified as initiatives of the Kisii County Government and, ultimately, the people. Mairura singled out the ongoing Kisii County Tournament, popularly branded the “Etaya Tournament”, saying the event is funded through the county budget. “We welcome the tournament and…
Nominated Kisii Senator Essy Okenyuri has appealed for calm and dialogue between the Kisii and Maasai communities living along the Nyagenke border amid rising tensions and reports of violence that have left two people dead. Speaking on Sunday, Okenyuri urged residents from both communities to reject violence and resolve their differences through dialogue, warning that continued confrontation could deepen divisions and disrupt the lives of families living along the border. Okenyuri, who said she was born and raised in Bomachoge Borabu, described the border area as a place where the Kisii and Maasai communities have coexisted for generations. “I come…
What began as a private quarrel between two young men over a woman has spiralled into a deadly confrontation in Mesocho, South Mugirango, raising fears that a personal dispute could trigger wider tensions between Maasai and Gusii youths along the Kisii-Narok border. At the centre of the trouble is a woman who, according to residents, had been romantically involved with youths from both communities. Last week, a Maasai youth reportedly followed the woman to a house in Mesocho after suspecting that she was seeing his rival. What he allegedly discovered inside the house sparked a confrontation between the two men.…
From jigger-infested feet and childhood hardship to the governor’s office, Simba Arati’s unlikely journey is a story of grit, survival, resilience and ambition. Before the suits, political rallies and official vehicles, young Paul Simba Arati was a village boy in Nyamache, Kisii, walking barefoot and carrying dreams he could hardly explain. His childhood, he says, was marked by hardship — the kind that teaches a child to endure before he is old enough to understand why life is difficult. There was little in his early years to suggest that one day he would occupy the governor’s office and preside over…
Kisii Governor Simba Arati has assured county government employees that their long-awaited salaries will be released by Monday, seeking to end growing anxiety among workers over delayed payments. Arati, speaking on Friday during a function attended by Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers and boda boda riders at the Agricultural Training Centre (ATC), said the Controller of Budget was expected to release funds set aside for the payment of county workers. The governor said some employees, particularly those whose salaries are processed through Family Bank, could receive their money as early as Monday morning. “The Controller of Budget has agreed…
Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo says his administration is on course to deliver on the key development promises contained in his 2022 manifesto before the 2027 General Election. Speaking during the funeral of Mzee Robinson Orucho at Mwencha in Ekerenyo Ward, Governor Nyaribo expressed confidence that he would have fulfilled his major campaign pledges by April 2027. “I am doing the work you assigned me as Governor. By April next year, I ask you to take a pen and mark against every promise that I made during the 2022 campaigns. I will have delivered,” he said. Nyaribo said the county was…