Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja has intensified the ongoing controversy surrounding Governor Susan Kihika’s prolonged absence, urging Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) to intervene and prevent the county from descending into chaos.
Speaking at a press conference in Naivasha, Karanja clashed with a group of women parliamentarians who had defended Kihika, arguing that her absence, now spanning a year, has created a leadership vacuum, stalled critical projects, and opened opportunities for financial mismanagement.
Karanja said that, owing to Kihika’s absence from duty, numerous capital projects across Nakuru County have ground to a halt, hospitals are facing shortages of medical supplies, and contractors remain unpaid.
She acknowledged Kihika’s reported delivery of twins but insisted that a one-year absence far exceeds the legally mandated three-month maternity leave under Kenyan law.
“We congratulate the Governor for her double blessings, but her prolonged absence is causing a crisis. She should formally hand over the instruments of power to her deputy until she recuperates,” Karanja said, flanked by local leaders.
The Senator’s remarks came shortly after Deputy Governor David Kones and a group of women parliamentarians defended Kihika, suggesting she needed time to recover from childbirth.
However, Karanja and other critics, including residents Esther Njoki and Naomi Njoki, dismissed this justification, pointing to the collapse of essential services.
She called on the Members of the County Assembly to exercise their constitutional oversight mandate to ensure county affairs run smoothly during the current situation.
Esther Njoki questioned Kihika’s decision to give birth abroad, arguing it reflected a lack of confidence in Nakuru’s healthcare system, which has deteriorated further in her absence.
“Hospitals have no supplies, and in Kayole estate, we are suffering from toxic emissions from the dumpsite with no county response to relocate it from the area,” she said.
Naomi Njoki, for her part, accused the defending parliamentarians of silencing residents, emphasising that poor communication from Kihika’s administration has left the county in disarray.
“We no longer know who is in charge of our great county and we are demanding clarity and accountability,” she said.
Another leader, Njoroge Muthomi, called for an audit of county finances, alleging that millions of shillings may have been embezzled during the leadership gap.
Governor Susan Kihika, elected in 2022 as Nakuru’s first female governor, has been absent from the public limelight for months, with questions raised about who is currently in charge of county affairs.
Reports suggest Kihika travelled abroad to deliver twins, a claim supported by her defenders but not officially confirmed.
Kihika’s tenure before her absence focused on infrastructure and healthcare improvements, but her administration faced criticism for slow progress and internal conflicts.
Her decision to seek medical care overseas has drawn particular scrutiny, given her oversight of the county’s struggling health sector.
Under the County Governments Act of 2012, a governor’s extended absence requires the deputy to assume control, yet Kihika has not formally delegated authority, complicating governance in the cosmopolitan county.
As public frustration grows over stalled projects, declining services, and allegations of financial impropriety, Kihika’s prolonged silence risks undermining her legacy and political future ahead of the 2027 elections.
– By Erastus Gichohi, KNA
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