Governor Julius Malombe has waded into the debate on the creation on new counties and proposed that his Kitui county should be split to create new Mwingi county.
“We propose that Mwingi becomes a full county encompassing the former Mwingi District,” the governor said on Monday.
He said the former Mwingi District was established in 1994 and missed becoming a county since the county governments were established based on the 1992 districts of Kenya.
Last week Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua tabled his proposal for the creation of Mwingi county before the National Dialogue Committee headed by Kalonzo Musyoka and Kimani Ichung'wah.
Wambua has been vocal about the need to create new Mwingi county since 2017 and has been in the forefront in this campaign.
Governor Malombe said an extra constituency should be created for Mwingi county, while Kitui county should have two more constituencies.
He justified the creation of Mwingi county, saying that the 350,156 population of Mwingi region of Kitui compared favourably with that of Lamu county with a population of 143,920 people, Samburu (310,327) in Samburu county and 393,177 people in Tharaka Nithi county.
The governor also made public the list of the people who will be in charge of the running of the new established Mwingi Municipality as members of the board.
Malombe said three of the nominees, who include a retired high school principal, Ronald Mutua Kamotho,were competitively picked after a public advertisement and interviews by Kitui county Public Service Board.
Others are Evelyne Mutheu Kitheka, a renowned entrepreneur and contractor, and Mwingi Boys Secondary School accountant Alex Nzoka Mwanzia.
The four additional members were nominated by associations for appointment by the governor and eventual vetting and approval by the Kitui county assembly.
They are Lydia Mwikali Kitonga who was nominated by the Larger Mwingi Youth Link and Pastor Eunice Mutua nominated by Mwingi Clergy self-help group.
Mbuvi Musyimi was nominated by Mwingi Hawkers Association while Dr John Kyalo Muthuka was nominated by Kyulungwa Professional Association.
