A UDA MP is crying foul over a Monday meeting between EAC and ASALs Cabinet Secretary Peninah Malonza and some August 9, 2022 poll losers from Kitui county.
The meeting that was held in Nairobi has rubbed Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai the wrong way.
Mbai said on Thursday the meeting was attended by some of his political rivals, adding that he reads a sinister political motive. He told the CS, who comes from the area, to keep off Kitui politics.
He faulted CS Malonza for having a meeting with the leaders, whom he claimed were from ODM and Wiper.
“Peninah Malonza’s political move to summon Wiper and ODM members to a meeting is overt. At the end, she promised them government jobs,” Mbai claimed.
He said he does not understand whether the action by Malonza, who in the 2022 polls lost her bid to capture the Kitui Woman Representative seat, is helpful to President William Ruto.
Mbai expressed displeasure that the CS was hobnobbing with leaders who unsuccessfully challenged him and Kitui South MP Rachel Kaki in the last election.
He asked CS Malonza to keep off politics and concentrate on her ministerial duties.
According to a Tuesday social media post by one on the CS aide, Alphonse Mutinda, Malonza on Monday evening held a consultative meeting with a section of Kitui county leaders to discuss development matters.
The post says the leaders unanimously resolved to forge unity in support of President Ruto’s administration agenda to deliver development to Kitui county.
Among those present were former Ambassador Kiema Kilonzo and Major (Rtd) Marcus Muluvi, who are Mbai’s predecessor as MPs for Kitui East.
But in a statement on Thursday, Mbai faulted Malonza for allegedly ignoring MPs and working with poll losers "who cannot add any value to President Ruto’s agenda".
“Honourable (Rachel) Nyamai and I have the President’s vote in Parliament. But CS Peninah has instead reached out to our rivals in last election and promised them jobs,” Mbai said.
Mbai banned CS Malonza from setting foot in his Kitui East constituency for allegedly allowing the issue of exploiting coal deposits in the area to be discussed during the Monday meeting.
He said no discussion on the mining coal in Mutitu should be entertained at all.
Attempts to reach CS Malonza for comment were unsuccessful. She had not responded to a text message sent to her by press time.
She is away in Arusha, Tanzania, where she was due to take the oath of office as a EALA ex-officio member on Thursday.
Amb Kilonzo who also attended the meeting in question did not respond to our inquiries too.
