Kitui governor aspirant David Musila says he is keen to change the bad image of the county, if elected on August 9.
Musila who lost to Governor Charity Ngilu in 2017 is contesting the seat on a Jubilee Party ticket.
He said he is taking a second shot at the governorship because he is out to sanitise Kitui’s bad image.
The aspirant spoke on Tuesday at Kanyangi social hall in Kitui Rural subcounty, during a town hall meeting with leaders and a cross section of voters from lower Yatta, Kanyangi and Kwa Vonza.
“Yes, I lost in 2017. I have forgotten all that because that is water under the bridge. I am back again, seeking a relationship with Kitui voters. Let us have a mutual friendship and work to spruce Kitui’s bad image.
“My people, Kitui has a very bad name. Whenever you read anything about Kitui in the newspaper, it is about corruption. There are many cases under investigations at the EACC. Reports on Kitui revolve around unexplained disappearance and theft of public funds,” Musila said.
He said the most recent was the misappropriation of Covid-19 funds.
"More than Sh300 million of the Covid-19 money was no used for the intended purpose even as a number of residents died of the malady," Musila said.
The former Kitui senator was making reference to an inquiry by the Kitui assembly, late last year.
The findings established that hundreds of millions of the Coivid-19 monies allocated to Kitui, were diverted to other non Covid-19 activities.
“We have people who are so shameless that they squandered money for treatment of a disease, as people die helplessly,” Musila said.
He also said Kitui has a reputation of having medical facilities that perpetually lacked drugs and residents suffered perennial water shortage.
Musila said those elected into leadership hardly make efforts to reduce the water scarcity problems that bedevils Kitui, to any significant extend.
“Kitui is steeped in many problems. That is why I felt the urge to seek the governorship, to address the problems once and for all. It is all not for my personal benefits but for the general good of the people of Kitui,” he said.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
