Kitui Assembly Speaker Kevin Katisya and the Tharaka MCA Muthengi Ndangara sign a hymn at the Kamayangi SDA church on Saturday
Kitui County Assembly speaker Kevin Katisya has defended his decision to work with the Kenya Kwanza administration, insisting that the cooperation with the national government has accelerated development in the county.
Katisya said there was no turning back on the position he took alongside several MCAs, most of whom were elected on the Wiper Patriotic Front Party ticket.
"Kitui MCAs and I are working with President William Ruto and his deputy Kithure Kindiki because they are the government of the day," Katisya said.
He maintained that although he is a member of the Wiper Party, his collaboration with the Kenya Kwanza administration is solely intended to lobby for national government development projects for Kitui county.
"People should not mislead others into believing that development will automatically come because it is a constitutional right. If that were the case, why has Kitui not enjoyed adequate development since 1963?" he posed.
Katisya argued that while every Kenyan is entitled to development as a taxpayer, leaders must actively engage and lobby the national government to ensure projects are implemented in their respective regions.
He was addressing congregants during a church service at Kamayangi SDA Church in Tharaka ward on Saturday. His sentiments were echoed by Tharaka MCA Muthengi Ndangara.
Katisya said Kitui's slow pace of development since independence was partly due to leaders who failed to aggressively pursue government projects for the county.
"Together with a number of Wiper MCAs, we have resolved to work with President Ruto's government so that we can secure development for the people of Kitui," he said.
He acknowledged that his cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza administration had strained his relationship with the Wiper Party leadership but insisted he would not be intimidated.
"Things have not been easy. There have been attempts to impeach me because of my decision to work with the national government, but I have survived," he said.
Katisya urged residents of Tharaka to support his working relationship with the national government, saying it had already begun yielding tangible development projects.
Among the projects he cited was the tarmacking of the Kamuwongo–Kandwia Road. He added that plans to construct the Kyuso–Usueni Road and the Kandwia–Ishara Road were also underway.
"We are also pushing hard to ensure that the Grand High Falls Project along the Tana River is implemented for the benefit of our people," Katisya said.
