lowereas
A controversy has emerged in Kitui West after reports surfaced that Member of Parliament Edith Nyenze allegedly diverted a rural electrification project that was originally planned for Kabati area to benefit her family and close associates in Makongo and Katheka shopping centres.
According to reliable constituency sources, the project, which was scheduled to bring streetlights to Kabati Market, was instead launched just 300 metres apart at Makongo and Katheka shopping centres both said to be located close to the legislator’s family residences.
During the official launch ceremony, Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi did not attend in person. He instead sent Principal Secretary for Energy Alex Kamau Wachira to represent him at the event. The PS is said to have been misled into believing that the lights were part of the original Kabati electrification plan. However, a constituency coordinator has since confirmed that lobbying was done by individuals close to the MP to have the launch moved to the two nearby centres.
“The initial plan was to light up Kabati, but the project was quietly shifted. The CS was not aware of the change. It ended up benefiting the MP’s family and associates,” the coordinator told Lower Eastern Digital Media.
The coordinator further revealed that the residents of Kabati, who were the intended beneficiaries, were left disappointed after learning that the project had been redirected. He claimed that Kabati locals have increasingly distanced themselves from the MP due to what they describe as “self-centered leadership.”
It is also alleged that the MP assured her associates that they would enjoy free electricity connections once the lights were installed near their homesteads, implying that they would not have to pay for power usage.
Meanwhile, tension is said to be brewing between Kitui West Commissioner Benedict Muasya and MP Edith Nyenze, with reports indicating that the two are locked in a silent contest for political influence in the area. Local sources describe their ongoing rivalry as “a show of muscle,” as each seeks to assert control and demonstrate their authority in local development matters.
Residents have since called on the Ministry of Energy and the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) to investigate the matter and ensure that public resources are used equitably for the benefit of all citizens, not a few individuals.
Efforts to reach MP Edith Nyenze and commissioner muasya for comment were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
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