• The association’s new secretary general Jared Atancha said they held the election with the full blessings of the entire membership, save for a few.
• However, a caucus led by Hoffman Ondieki and Charles Mariera dismissed the Atancha faction describing the poll conducted as a sham.
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A fresh battle among contractors in Kisii county has divided the group’s association in the middle, days to meeting with Governor Simba Arati.
On Tuesday, two parallel factions came out fighting for its control with one claiming bona fide leadership.
The other separately disowned the current leadership saying they picked new leaders in an election conducted on Sunday.
The association’s new secretary general Jared Atancha said they held the election with the full blessings of the entire membership, save for a few.
"We cannot get bogged down by a few people who are actually not even registered with us. The result of the poll therefore remains very valid,” he said.
Atancha, who spoke at Elparaiso Hotel, said as new officials they have already hit the ground running and would soon hold a meeting with the governor to push their agenda.
"Our first agenda will be pushing for the payment of the Sh400 million pending bills to the members. Already plans for the meeting are on course,” he said.
Atancha said the simmering conflicts among some pockets of some members are likely to derail the association from meeting the broad objectives that informed the formation of the association.
"Infighting and back stage battles are twin enemies of any association and we appeal to those aggrieved to come forward so that we objectively look at their claims, iron them and move forward,” he said.
Atancha said already many association members are suffering over delayed payments with a few being hunted by banks and shylocks.
He said the new governor has set the tone of his leadership adding that infighting among association members will set them on a wrong course with him.
"The governor has set off well. We are hoping that there is not going to be any cat and mouse game with us when it comes to chasing for payments, as it used to happen with the former administration,” Atancha said.
However, speaking at another parallel meeting at Mwalimu Hotel, a caucus led by Hoffman Ondieki and Charles Mariera dismissed the Atancha faction describing the poll conducted as a sham.
"If there are bonafide Kisii contractors association members then we are here. The purported polls by the Atancha team are as invalid as they can get because majority of the members were not there to vote,” Ondieki said.
He said legal procedures including notifying the government in regards to conducting fresh election for new office bearers were not followed
"This was not met and a no minutes were availed to the registrar of societies on the purported polls,” Ondieki said.
Speaking separately, officials of the Gusii and Nyamira contractors congratulated President-elect William Ruto.
They pleaded with him to ensure many of the stalled projects, which were abandoned because of their association to him are finished.
Secretary general Bosibori Marube further asked him to reward UDA stalwarts from the region who fought hard for his election.
She especially told the president to ensure governor candidate Ezekiel Machogu is given a plum posting following the spirited battle for the party.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)