Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja has asked Deputy President William Ruto to keep off the standoff between his administration and the county assembly.
Samboja said those visiting the county must respect the views of the majority of its residents.
“I am disappointed by the utterances of the deputy president that we do not have enough brains here to solve our problems. Let him take his 2022 campaigns elsewhere because we do not need his opinion,” Samboja said.
He was addressing mourners during the burial of Dickson Mwashuke in Wundanyi.
The governor said he shall only support President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga’s opinion on the county government's dissolution petition.
“The petition shall be handed over to the President and his deputy has nothing to do with it. His opinion shall, therefore, be useless,” he added.
Samboja snubbed the DP's two-day tour of the county citing other pressing issues.
While meeting MCAs on Monday, Ruto asked Taita Taveta leaders to dialogue over the budget impasse.
Ruto cautioned the governor, MCAs and other elected leaders that they shall be voted out if they fail to offer solutions to residents' problems.
“This is a very bad joke and we shall not entertain such petty things emanating from disagreements that can be solved within,” Ruto told the MCAs.
A mediation team led by Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga failed to bear fruits after Governor Samboja declined to take part in the reconciliation talks.
Taita Taveta Anglican Church of Kenya Bishop Liverson Mng’onda is expected to lead another session of talks between the sides.
Samboja fell out with MCAs after he failed to assent to the Sh5.6 billion budget for 2019-20 financial year.
He has since then collected 52,100 signatures across the county to petition President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve the county.
(edited by O. Owino)
