“Let Them Come With Guns”: Natembeya Sends Defiant Message to Ruto
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has thrown down the gauntlet to the police , daring them to arrest him as the row with President William Ruto over development projects in Kitale escalates . It’s all about the newly built Masinde Muliro market and the planned Kitale Level 5 Hospital.
Natembeya has vowed to show up at the market on Monday, reopen it, and hand out stalls to the traders, despite Ruto having just launched the facility weeks ago and giving the national government a good chunk of the credit for it. The governor is having none of that, saying the national government is just taking credit for county projects.
He’s also threatening to try and block the construction of the new hospital, saying that the project is being done on county land without his administration being properly involved .
All this comes as the political temperature in the region has really started to heat up . And it’s all happened just days after a reported run-in between Natembeya’s convoy and the Presidential motorcade in Kitale on Friday evening, and the withdrawal of his bodyguards earlier in the week.
Natembeya Dares Police to Arrest Him During Planned Market Visit
Natembeya is dead set on going ahead with his planned visit to Masinde Muliro market despite as he puts it, threats to his safety.
When asked about it, the governor said he’s more than willing to take on the national government – and won’t let the traders of Trans Nzoia get pushed to one side in the process.
“I’m telling my people, maybe my last day will be on Monday because on Monday I will go to battle with the national government, if the police and the army come with guns and bombs, they’re welcome to come but I am going to put the people of Trans Nzoia inside the market, and he [Ruto] can bring people from Uganda and put them in the market for me to accept,” Natembeya said.
All this comes after Ruto launched the new market in Kitale and the two leaders ended up at odds over the project and who should be in charge of it.
Natembeya has promised to reopen the market and get traders back into their stalls.
Masinde Muliro Market Dispute Deepens Natembeya-Ruto Row
The brand new Masinde Muliro market has become the focal point of the row between the governor and the president.
Natembeya is accusing Ruto of taking the credit for county development projects during his visit to Kitale. He says that local traders should be the ones who get to benefit from the market, and he’s vowed to make sure they do.
Of course, his planned visit to the market on Monday will probably just make things more heated between the two leaders, especially if the government at the national level and the government in Kitale cant sort out their differences over who gets to control the market and hand out the stalls.
Natembeya Threatens to Challenge Kitale Level 5 Hospital Construction
The new hospital project in Kitale is just the latest thing that’s causing tension between Natembeya and Ruto.
Down on the ground in Kitale, the new Level 5 Hospital is being built on the site of the old Kitale District Hospital. The national government has put the project in the hands of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
But Natembeya is getting a bit fed up – he reckons the national government is just bullying the county government and not even bothering to talk to them before building on county land.
Natembeya has waded into the argument, asking Ruto to knock it off and let the county do its job instead. “Rais, please just respect the constitution. Let the governor get on with being a governor. There are loads of other projects that should be done but aren’t being done. This is just a whole big mess between Natembeya and Ruto. Can they just leave us alone and not take sides? I’ll be heading to that hospital site on Monday to see what’s going on and whether they’re really building it to help people or if it’s just some politician’s ego trip.”
Natembeya is talking about going out to the hospital site to get to the bottom of things and sort out his concerns.
And all this has added another layer to the dispute between Natembeya and Ruto, with some people starting to question just where responsibility lies when it comes to pushing forward with major development projects.
Ruto Commits KSh 1 Billion to Kitale Level 5 Hospital
President Ruto put his weight behind the new Kitale Level 5 Hospital with a KSh 1 billion commitment, that was during the groundbreaking ceremony last Friday.
The President said it would all help people in Trans Nzoia and the surrounding area get better access to healthcare services.
But in the midst of all this good news, Natembeya’s just added another layer of complication, now there are questions about who’s really in charge when it comes to getting these kinds of big development projects off the ground.
The hospital is supposed to sort out the lack of healthcare capacity in the area, but now these guys are at each other’s throats over who gets to call the shots.
Natembeya Says He Will Not Be Silenced Over Trans Nzoia Residents
The governor has shot down the idea that the possibility of being arrested or intimidated would make him back down from standing up for his people.
This came just after his convoy, with The Equitable Party (TEP) leader Edwin Sifuna in tow, was reportedly ambushed in Kitale Town on a Friday evening when it crossed paths with the presidential convoy.
Now alluding to what he basically suspects is a plot to have him arrested or worse, Natembeya says he’s ready for whatever comes his way for sticking up for his constituents.
“I’m not going to back down just because of some personal threat, whether it’s being arrested or worse, I’m prepared to face the music. Every crime needs to be proved, we’re not living in a time of detention without trial, I’m not going to get put on the spot just because I’ve spoken up for my people, and if you do arrest me, well, I’m not ashamed of standing up for them. I’m just doing my job,” said Natembeya.
All of this highlights just how heated the dispute has become, its now all about who gets the upper hand, with both sides arguing over security and how politics is done in this region.
Getting to the bottom of what happened with the reported incident between the two convoys is still a pretty big deal.
Natembeya’s Bodyguards Withdrawn Amid Political Tensions
The row between Natembeya and Ruto has also ratcheted up tensions in another way, the governor’s security team has been recalled to their stations.
All of this started after Natembeya gave a speech in Kiminini where he really took the government to task. Ruto had spoken at the same event earlier in the day and basically accused Natembeya of getting in the way of national government projects in the area.
The fact that Natembeya’s security detail has been withdrawn has really brought attention to just how knotty the relationship between the county administration and the national government is.
However, we really need to get to the bottom of the circumstances behind the security changes, that means hearing from the people who need to explain things.
What Happens Next in the Natembeya-Ruto Standoff?
Next week could be a really big moment in this whole situation. Natembeya is planning to visit the Masinde Muliro market and the Kitale Level 5 Hospital, and its likely to be a real powderkeg.
The governor has said he’s going to go ahead and do it, despite there being a risk he could be arrested, while the President has defended the national government’s development plans for the region.
The main issues at stake are the way the market is run, who gets stalls in the market, the building of the hospital and the roles of national and county governments in all of this.
Now whether the two sides can actually sort this out through talking or if things are going to get even more heated remains to be seen.
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“Let Them Come With Guns”: Natembeya Sends Defiant Message to Ruto
