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Taita Taveta County, as aspirants for the position of Governor, are preparing to wrestle incumbent Andrew Mwadime from power in next year’s polls.
However, local residents and leaders noted that the voters will look at the humility and development performance of the aspirants.
Other candidates for the seat include former Governor Granton Samboja, Senator Jones Mwaruma, Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako, and Mwatate legislator Peter Shake.
Others who have publicly declared interest for the top county seat include former KPA MD Ambassador John Mwangemi, KPA’s Handling Equipment Manager Engineer Anderson Mtalaki and former Principal Secretary Dr Margaret Mwakima, among others.
Woman Representative Lydia Haika withdrew from the male-dominated race and instead has declared interest in the Senatorial seat.
Interestingly, Mwaruma and Mwahako had ganged up and supported Governor Mwadime in the 2022 polls to defeat Mr Samboja, who has now re-ignited his political comeback by distributing thousands of branded matchboxes as a strategy to re-engage voters in a bid to recapture the gubernatorial seat he lost to the incumbent.
The matchboxes seen by The Standard are emblazoned with the former governor’s photo and his name, Mshapa Granton Samboja, 2027 Governor, Taita Taveta.
Samboja, Mwaruma, Mwashako, Mwangemi and Mtalaki have already formed their campaign teams and strategically deployed their close allies who are traversing urban and rural areas.
“Voters will look at the humility and development performance of the aspirants for the county top seat, and the race will not be as easy as many will think. The candidates have to tell us what they have done to the electorate,” said Apostle Claud Mnyambo.
He said local elected leaders have failed to address the thorny, emotive land issues, persistent water shortages and human-wildlife conflict.
Other issues of interest to the voters include low education standards, high poverty and unemployment levels and perennial hunger, stated Apostle Mnyambo.
“Instead of working with the sitting governor to help in addressing pertinent issues affecting the local community, some elected leaders have resorted to engaging in early campaigns,” he noted.
“We will not be looking at the parties, but we will look at the capabilities of individual candidates to lead the county. Those who have started bragging that they are better candidates will be ashamed,” Apostle Mnyambo told The Standard yesterday.
In the last polls, it was a mixture of elective positions, as ODM only won the senatorial seat, while UDA won the woman representative seat and one assembly seat in the region.
The Wiper party won three parliamentary seats, among them the Voi, Taveta and Wundanyi constituencies.
Yesterday, Samboja, who is also the board chairman for the Pyrethrum Processing Company (PPCK), said he is prepared to battle it out with any candidate to recapture the top county seat in the next polls.
He noted that he lost the seat after some current elected leaders ganged up to support the incumbent governor. Samboja told his rivals to prepare for a bruising mother of all political battles in the next polls.
Mwashako and Dr Mwakima noted there is nothing to show for it in terms of development despite the county government receiving billions of shillings from the exchequer.
Speaking separately, the aspirants said the county has so far received more than Sh 49 billion, including conditional grants, since 2013, but there is little to show on the ground.
“Where did the money go? I will root out corruption,” vowed Mwashako. “It is not normal. Kwale and Kilifi counties have performed better in education and health, among other sectors that drive the economy. Those not performing to the expectations of the electorate will be voted out in the next polls,” warned Mwashako.
Dr Mwakima faulted the county administration for the slow pace of development in the region, despite the county’s rich resources, with residents feeling tangible progress is lacking, while the county government points to initiatives in agriculture, education (bursaries), health and infrastructure like water systems, though challenges persist, especially with revenue from national parks and land disputes.
However, the governor says, contrary to claims from his rivals, his administration has earned national recognition after the county public services board was named the best among all 47 counties, winning the prestigious Champions for Governance award.
Mwadime vowed to defend his seat, pointing out that the award has been celebrated as a major step in strengthening professionalism, accountability and integrity within the county public service.
The governor said the award reflects the success of deliberate reforms and strategic investments his administration has so far made in human resource management.
He challenged his political rivals who want to unseat him from his seat to concentrate on delivering on their promise first.
“At the end of this five-year period, there is a prescribed campaign period so that every prospective aspirant gets a fair chance to sell their agenda to the electorate. This is the foundation of our democracy, and this is the way it should be done,” Mwadime told his political rivals.
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Taita Taveta County, as aspirants for the position of Governor, are preparing to wrestle incumbent Andrew Mwadime from power in next year’s polls.
However, local residents and leaders noted that the voters will look at the humility and development performance of the aspirants.
Other candidates for the seat include former Governor Granton Samboja, Senator Jones Mwaruma, Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako, and Mwatate legislator Peter Shake.
Others who have publicly declared interest for the top county seat include former KPA MD Ambassador John Mwangemi, KPA’s Handling Equipment Manager Engineer Anderson Mtalaki and former Principal Secretary Dr Margaret Mwakima, among others.
Woman Representative Lydia Haika withdrew from the male-dominated race and instead has declared interest in the Senatorial seat.
Interestingly, Mwaruma and Mwahako had ganged up and supported Governor Mwadime in the 2022 polls to defeat Mr Samboja, who has now re-ignited his political comeback by distributing thousands of branded matchboxes as a strategy to re-engage voters in a bid to recapture the gubernatorial seat he lost to the incumbent.
The matchboxes seen by The Standard are emblazoned with the former governor’s photo and his name, Mshapa Granton Samboja, 2027 Governor, Taita Taveta.
Samboja, Mwaruma, Mwashako, Mwangemi and Mtalaki have already formed their campaign teams and strategically deployed their close allies who are traversing urban and rural areas.
“Voters will look at the humility and development performance of the aspirants for the county top seat, and the race will not be as easy as many will think. The candidates have to tell us what they have done to the electorate,” said Apostle Claud Mnyambo.
He said local elected leaders have failed to address the thorny, emotive land issues, persistent water shortages and human-wildlife conflict.
Other issues of interest to the voters include low education standards, high poverty and unemployment levels and perennial hunger, stated Apostle Mnyambo.
“Instead of working with the sitting governor to help in addressing pertinent issues affecting the local community, some elected leaders have resorted to engaging in early campaigns,” he noted.
“We will not be looking at the parties, but we will look at the capabilities of individual candidates to lead the county. Those who have started bragging that they are better candidates will be ashamed,” Apostle Mnyambo told The Standard yesterday.
In the last polls, it was a mixture of elective positions, as ODM only won the senatorial seat, while UDA won the woman representative seat and one assembly seat in the region.
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The Wiper party won three parliamentary seats, among them the Voi, Taveta and Wundanyi constituencies.
Yesterday, Samboja, who is also the board chairman for the Pyrethrum Processing Company (PPCK), said he is prepared to battle it out with any candidate to recapture the top county seat in the next polls.
He noted that he lost the seat after some current elected leaders ganged up to support the incumbent governor. Samboja told his rivals to prepare for a bruising mother of all political battles in the next polls.
Mwashako and Dr Mwakima noted there is nothing to show for it in terms of development despite the county government receiving billions of shillings from the exchequer.
Speaking separately, the aspirants said the county has so far received more than Sh 49 billion, including conditional grants, since 2013, but there is little to show on the ground.
“Where did the money go? I will root out corruption,” vowed Mwashako. “It is not normal. Kwale and Kilifi counties have performed better in education and health, among other sectors that drive the economy. Those not performing to the expectations of the electorate will be voted out in the next polls,” warned Mwashako.
Dr Mwakima faulted the county administration for the slow pace of development in the region, despite the county’s rich resources, with residents feeling tangible progress is lacking, while the county government points to initiatives in agriculture, education (bursaries), health and infrastructure like water systems, though challenges persist, especially with revenue from national parks and land disputes.
However, the governor says, contrary to claims from his rivals, his administration has earned national recognition after the county public services board was named the best among all 47 counties, winning the prestigious Champions for Governance award.
Mwadime vowed to defend his seat, pointing out that the award has been celebrated as a major step in strengthening professionalism, accountability and integrity within the county public service.
The governor said the award reflects the success of deliberate reforms and strategic investments his administration has so far made in human resource management.
He challenged his political rivals who want to unseat him from his seat to concentrate on delivering on their promise first.
“At the end of this five-year period, there is a prescribed campaign period so that every prospective aspirant gets a fair chance to sell their agenda to the electorate. This is the foundation of our democracy, and this is the way it should be done,” Mwadime told his political rivals.
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By Renson Mnyamwezi