High hopes for Tharaka Nithi residents as Prof Kindiki takes over Interior ministry
Former Interior and Government Coordination CS Fred Matiang'i (left) handing over the docket to his successor CS Kithure Kindiki. Tharaka Nithi residents have high hopes of getting more development following Prof Kindiki's appointment.
Jubilant residents of Tharaka Nithi County have expressed confidence that newly appointed Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki will influence great development in the devolved unit.
Speaking at the county headquarters Kathwana on Friday, the residents thanked President William Ruto for appointing the first Cabinet Secretary from the county since independence.
They said Prof Kindiki pushed for several projects, including roads, in his first tenure as Tharaka Nithi senator and as Senate majority leader but they stalled during the second term of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Mr Julius Mutegi, a businessman in Kathwana, asked Prof Kindiki to support the other elected leaders from the county to push the responsible ministries to complete the projects and start new ones.
“We have very key roads, including the Chuka-Kaare in Chuka/Igambang’ombe constituency, Keria-Magutuni in Maara constituency and Chiakariga-Gatunga, that started very many years ago but stalled and we urge Prof Kindiki to fast-track their completion,” Mr Mutegi said.
Relocation
Ms Jenifer Kimathi, a businesswoman, asked Prof Kindiki to ensure that national government officers, led by the county commissioner, who now operate from Chuka town relocate to Kathwana.
She said that though the county commissioner’s office in Kathwana is ready for use, other departmental heads have no offices there.
She said some county government departments are also stuck in Chuka, 30km away, because the Sh400 million executive office building and Sh360 million county assembly chambers and offices had stalled.
“With Prof Kindiki as the CS in charge of the national government administration, Kathwana will soon grow administratively and even economically,” Ms Kimathi said.
Mr Joshua Mutembei, a resident of Chuka, said though the Kenyatta administration gave the county four new sub-counties in the last five years, the units lack basic facilities including offices and vehicles, making it difficult for the officers to offer good services.
He noted that some administrative units also needed to be divided further to improve services.
“Though Prof Kindiki has been appointed to serve the entire country, we expect to benefit more because he is our son and this county has suffered a lot of development injustices since independence,” Mr Mutembei said.
John Mutugi, from Kibung’a in Tharaka constituency, also urged Prof Kindiki to work with other relevant departments to ensure that misunderstandings on the Meru-Tharaka Nithi border are amicably resolved so that title deeds could be issued to property owners.
With repeated clashes on the border, he said, the Eastern Region administration had stopped development until the issue was resolved, disadvantaging residents.
The other high-level appointments that went to people from the county was chief administrative secretary during Mr Kenyatta’s reign and assistant minister in the Mwai Kibaki and Daniel Moi eras.
