Alfred Mutua calls for truce between Senators, Governors

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua














addresses participants of a devolution conference at the Leisure Lodge Resort in Kwale County April 4, 2014. PHOTO/KEVIN ODIT 

In Summary

• We need to break this cycle of wrangling and concentrate on development
• constant wrangling between Senators and Governors had affected performance in most counties

By DANIEL TSUMA NYASSY
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Machakos Governor Dr Alfred Mutua has urged Senators and Governors to end their differences and focus on serving Kenyans.

 

"We need to break this cycle of wrangling and concentrate on development and fighting poverty," Dr Mutua said on Friday.

Mr Mutua advised the national government and his fellow governors to concentrate on fundamental things that will change the living standard of Kenyans.

“My advise to President Uhuru Kenyatta and his government and the senate is this, Kenyans are your things, your people, the fundamentals”, he said during devolution conference at Leisure Lodge in Kwale.

Dr Mutua said constant wrangling between Senators and Governors had affected performance in most counties.

“Open tendering system has enabled us to achieve much in infrastructure and other development,” he said speaking of development in Machakos County.

He said having county-based professionals such as engineers had helped his government cut construction costs.

“We have our own engineers in Machakos. When we wanted to build a 35km road, we were told by government experts that it would be impossible to spend Sh1.3billion on the project. I said let’s have an open-tender and budgeted Sh600 million only. Believe it or not, when we advertised it in the media, we got bids from local and international contractors and we were able to construct that road at Sh600 million,” he said.

Of the 70 ambulances that the county bought for all its 35 locations, Dr Mutua said they were told that each would cost Sh2 million.
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“Today, we have 70 fully equipped ambulances each having cost Sh1.7 million only. What I want my colleagues to know also is that the tendering system according to the new law is 35 days only. This can be brought down with proper, harmonised management,” he said.

Dr Mutua advised fellow governors to eliminate kickbacks and avoid internal and external wrangling which was not good for development.

“By avoiding these pitfalls, we shall be able to achieve development and avoid poor performance which has dodged this country for 50 years,” he said.