Natembeya Threatens to Take Ruto to Court, Issues Warning Over Masinde Muliro Market
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya’s just threatened to take President William Ruto to court over plans to launch the Masinde Muliro Market – the latest and most serious escalation yet in a bitter standoff between the two leaders over development projects in the county.
Natembeya warned he’ll have no problem getting court orders to stop Ruto from even setting foot in the market or its surrounding area – pointing out that the facility was built using county funds. Insisting he won’t let the President push him around in his own county.
The governor also took Ruto to task over the national government’s plans to launch new county assembly offices, arguing the national government shouldn’t take all the credit for projects the county actually financed.
The dispute has really ratcheted up the tension between the two leaders, who have been trading accusations about development and the role of the national government in Trans Nzoia County for a while now.
Natembeya Threatens Legal Action Against Ruto Over Masinde Muliro Market
Speaking out on Tuesday, 13th Oct, Natembeya basically told Ruto to back off and stop trying to bully him in his own backyard.
The governor said he was more than happy to go to court if Ruto proceeded with plans to launch the market against his wishes.
“I’m not going to let you push me around,” the Governor said. “Me, the people’s representative is supposed to be in charge here – I can actually just head on down to court tomorrow and stop you from even walking in the market”
Natembeya’s threat to get court orders has added a whole new level to the dispute, although its worth noting that so far, no actual case has been filed.
Natembeya Says Masinde Muliro Market Was Built Using County Funds
Trans Nzoia Governor maintained that Masinde Muliro Market was built entirely on county funds, money which he says should get the recognition it deserves.
He also made it clear he won’t stand for the traders who’ve already moved into the market being kicked out to make way for the President’s big launch.
Natembeya is adamant that the county government should get the credit it deserves for this project.
This latest spat is a reminder that when national and county leaders clash over who gets the credit for development projects, things can get pretty heated.
Natembeya Challenges Ruto Over KSh500 Million County Assembly Offices
Natembeya fired back at Ruto, saying he had built the new county assembly offices at a cost of KSh500 million using county funds – there’s no way Ruto had a penny to do with it. He then threw out a challenge : “Launch it yourself, after all, you’ve been handing over projects with our money to get your name in the headlines. When you’re done, I’ll show you what happens to the nameplate and swap it out with mine”.
It’s clear Natembeya is fed up with the President wanting to steal the spotlight over projects that the county has paid for out of pocket. He pointed out that if Ruto wants to launch development projects in Trans Nzoia, then maybe the national government could put its money where its mouth is instead of claiming all the glory.
Natembeya Calls on Ruto to Respect Devolution
It’s not the first time Natembeya has spoken his mind on this subject. He’s continued to call on the President to respect the devolution of power , arguing that the constitution clearly spells out which tasks the national and county governments are responsible for. He’s had enough of Ruto trying to muscle in on projects that are the county’s to fund and run.
He’s making his comments at a time when there’s a lot of debate going on around devolution in Kenya. People are arguing about how to make it work better : how to split the bill for projects, who should be in charge of running them, and how much credit should go to the county or the national government.
How the Ruto-Natembeya Political Feud Began
It all started when Ruto jumped in to sidekick Natembeya over what he called the “Tawe movement”. Natembeya fired back, insisting he wasn’t against development – it’s every Kenyan’s right to have it. He also called out Ruto’s hospital project, pointing out that the national government tried to allocate money to it without even bothering to get an agreement with the county first.
It all started with that hospital project and then escalated to the Masinde Muliro Market and now the county assembly offices.
Why the Masinde Muliro Market Dispute Matters
The fireworks between Ruto and Natembeya go far beyond the launch of a new market. It’s a big question mark over how public projects get funded and who gets to say they’re involved. For county leaders like Natembeya, its about being able to show the residents of Trans Nzoia that their elected officials have the best interests of the community at heart. For the national government, commissioning ceremonies are a chance to show off their development work.
The dispute in Trans Nzoia is shining a light on how the national and county governments could do a better job of working together – and talking to each other. Only time will tell whether Natembeya follows through with his threatened court action
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Natembeya Threatens to Take Ruto to Court, Issues Warning Over Masinde Muliro Market
