• Awiti, who appeared in public for the first time since mid-April, said he is not interested in premature campaigns.
• He accused local politicians of sponsoring youths to destroy county projects and ruin his legacy.
Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti yesterday told politicians in the county not to draw him into 2022 succession politics.
Awiti, who appeared in public for the first time since mid-April, said he is not interested in premature campaigns.
“I’m interested in service delivery to residents of this county. I’ll go home in 2022 hence I shouldn’t be put in the mix,” he said.
The county chief also claimed the politicians have tried to create a rift between him and his deputy.
“For the long days I have been away, Orata has taken charge of the county. The projects he launched are ongoing smoothly but you find some people still complain,” Awiti said.
Governor Awiti delegated his duties to his deputy Hamilton Orata on April 30, to recover after a surgery.
He had just returned to Kenya after undergoing an eye operation in Germany.
Senators on May 15 warned that the Awiti risked being removed from office on grounds of incapacity after he failed to appear before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee.
They gave the county chief 30 days to appear before it to respond to audit queries after communication from County Secretary Isaiah Ogwe said he was out of the country on medical grounds.
The county boss spoke at the Homa Bay Water & Sanitation Company offices when he received water supply equipment worth Sh40 million sourced from the Netherlands.
He accused local leaders of sponsoring youths to destroy county projects and ruin his legacy.
A number of solar powered streetlights and water kiosks the county installed in 2015 have been destroyed.
The Sh53 million lights were erected in Homa Bay, Oyugis, Kendu Bay towns and, Magunga, Ndhiwa, Rangwe and Kadongo markets.
Most are not functional as panels were either stolen or destroyed.
“I won’t tolerate the politicians behind the youths who vandalise projects undertaken in my tenure. I’m warning them we’ll arrest and charge them,” Awiti said.
The governor was accompanied by his deputy Hamilton Orata, chief executives Dickson Nyawinda (Water), Richard Muga (Health) and Roseline Onyango (Energy).
Awiti warned youths in the county against being misused by politicians.
“Most projects we undertake are meant to empower youths and therefore those engage in such destruction will not be spared,” Awiti said.