Onyonka, Arati lock horns in explosive spending showdown
Onyonka, Arati lock horns in explosive spending showdown
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has launched a scathing attack on Governor Simba Arati, accusing him of reckless spending and the use of demeaning language against both county residents and political leaders.
Onyonka described the governor as a “loose cannon,” faulting remarks allegedly made by Arati that linked his predecessor, former Governor James Ongwae, to corruption.
The Senator said such utterances undermine the dignity of Kisii County’s leadership and disrespect the people the governor was elected to serve.
“It is deeply disturbing to hear constant regurgitations from the governor about the people he leads, branding them as ‘poor and thieves’,” Onyonka said.
He termed the remarks as “demeaning, offensive and completely unbefitting of a holder of public office,” arguing that they lower the stature of the county and its leadership.
Onyonka further accused Governor Arati of repeatedly using pejorative and morally distasteful language during public engagements, which he said erodes public confidence in the office of the governor.
The criticism follows claims by Governor Arati during a recent tour of Kitutu Chache North that his administration had recovered more than Sh1.4 billion allegedly unaccounted for under the previous regime.
However, Onyonka dismissed the assertion, saying the funds were earmarked for settling pending bills owed to contractors who had already delivered services to the county.
“The so-called recovered money was not stolen. It was meant to pay contractors who had completed their work,” the Senator said.
Governor Arati has since stated that the funds were redirected towards the construction of the Kisii County Headquarters and the purchase of road construction equipment.
But Onyonka accused the county boss of implementing policies that have worsened the economic situation of residents, citing the dismissal of county employees and poor working conditions for those still in service.
“This is not the Kisii we envisioned under devolution,” he said.
The Senator also raised concerns over the alleged exclusion of local contractors from major county projects, claiming that preference has been given to foreign firms and contractors from outside the region.
“This practice goes against the very spirit of devolution,” Onyonka argued. “It denies local communities economic opportunities meant to uplift them.”
According to him, the Kisii County Headquarters project was awarded to China Fushun No. 1 Building Engineering Company, while the tender for road construction equipment went to Liugong Machinery East Africa Ltd—both Chinese-owned firms.
“Are we saying Kisii has no capable engineers or contractors?” Onyonka posed.
He further cited unresolved audit queries by the Auditor-General regarding payments for the County Headquarters project, saying the concerns remain unanswered and raise questions about accountability and financial prudence.
Onyonka maintained that Kisii residents remain economically disadvantaged because county resources are not being used to empower local businesses.
“When you empower local contractors, you build a financially independent population that can demand accountability from its leaders,” he said.
In contrast, the Senator praised the previous administration under former Governor James Ongwae, saying it supported local contractors—a move he credited with stimulating economic growth and nurturing local leadership.
“That administration believed in growing its own, and the results were evident,” he said.
Onyonka urged Kisii residents to remain hopeful, expressing confidence that the county would eventually “redeem itself and restore its lost glory.”