Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi has defended his record and addressed a range of county issues during a candid interview with Kameme FM and Kameme TV, where he spoke about healthcare, bursaries, revenue collection, infrastructure, and his strained relationship with some Members of Parliament.
State House Visit and Regional Debate
Governor Wamatangi clarified why he was absent during the recent State House meeting attended by more than 6,000 grassroots leaders, MCAs, and MPs from Kiambu. He explained that the invitations were coordinated by Kiambu MPs and that he never received one.
“I was not invited to the meeting. The MPs organized it, not me,” he said.
The governor added that he has no issue with MCAs attending since he maintains a good working relationship with the majority of them. The meeting, however, came against the backdrop of renewed calls to have Kiambu recognized as a region, a push that was echoed by the Deputy President. Wamatangi avoided delving into the debate, saying there is “power in numbers” and that unity among Mt. Kenya leaders is more important than isolation.
Travel and Saving Public Funds
Wamatangi dismissed claims that he avoids foreign travel because of advisories, clarifying that he deliberately cut down on international trips to save public money. He argued that most meetings can be conducted locally in Kiambu, making foreign travel unnecessary.
“As a senator, I used to travel abroad to mobilize resources. How come there were no issues then? It is propaganda,” he said.
Revenue Collection Reforms
On county finances, the governor explained that his administration abolished three parallel revenue collection systems that were riddled with loopholes and consolidated them into a single system. The move, he said, has improved efficiency and enabled Kiambu County to collect more than KSh 5 billion.
Healthcare and Doctors’ Strike
The governor also addressed the health sector, noting that his administration has built infrastructure and is now working to equip facilities. On the ongoing doctors’ strike, he explained that Kiambu has the highest number of doctors in the country but only about 100 of the more than 300 have withdrawn their services. He warned that those not working would not be paid.
He accused the doctors’ union of insisting that membership deductions be processed before salaries are paid, a move opposed by some doctors. The county, he said, decided to pay doctors directly, leaving individuals to sort out their union dues.
On equipment, Wamatangi defended his decision not to sign an agreement with the national government until the details and pricing were clarified. He said the county had already bought and launched equipment and would deploy additional machines to new hospitals.
He also spoke about Wamatangi Care, which he described as the foundation of Kiambu’s universal healthcare. He noted that 500,000 residents were registered at its launch, and a mass registration exercise will resume once the Social Health Authority (SHA) resolves pending issues.
Agriculture and Empowerment
Defending his agricultural programs, Wamatangi said distributing chicks and piglets to residents was aimed at empowering households to generate income rather than handing out cash. He gave the example of Gatundu North, where many young people have transformed into serious pig farmers. According to him, several counties have already approached Kiambu to benchmark the initiative.
Markets, Bursaries, and ECDE
The governor highlighted the cooperation between the county and the national government in constructing markets but accused MPs of politicizing the projects for political mileage.
On bursaries, he said the county has increased allocations from KSh 100 million to KSh 500 million and plans to raise the figure to KSh 750 million this year. Under the scheme, no child receives less than KSh 5,000, children of single parents are awarded KSh 10,000, and orphans get full scholarships. Disbursements have so far been made five times, with a target of seven before the end of the year.
In early childhood education, Wamatangi revealed that by December the county will have completed all 524 ECDE centres, which are fully furnished and stocked with books and stationery. Children in the centres are also served milk, uji, and eggs.
Infrastructure and Streetlighting
On infrastructure, the governor said the county has installed more than 8,000 solar streetlights under Angaza Kiambu, with a target of 12,000. He also pointed out that several bus parks have been modernized. Regarding roads, he explained that maintenance funds were temporarily halted by Parliament and later released after the Council of Governors went to court. He promised that road issues in Kiambu would be fixed within a year.
Integrity, MPs, and Development Agenda
Wamatangi said his development agenda does not align with MPs’ political interests, which explains the persistent conflicts. He revealed that he had resisted attempts to grab land in Delmonte and pressure to tamper with allocations in Tatu City, adding that his stand against corruption has made him a target.
On ongoing EACC investigations, he said the issues were politically motivated and lacked credible evidence. He reiterated that he has no problem with the President and maintains a good working relationship with more than 70% of MCAs.
Thika’s City Dream
The governor concluded by outlining his vision of transforming Thika into a city, positioning it as a modern industrial smart hub that will benefit both Kiambu residents and the country at large.
