The County Assembly of Machakos and Governor Wavinya Ndeti have officially buried the hatchet, putting aside months of bitter friction to promise a united front for the county.

​For months, the heartbeat of Machakos County felt choked by an invisible hand. Streets piled high with uncollected garbage, vital community support programs like the Wikwatyo Fund stalled, and the daily hustle of residents hung in the balance as a bitter budget deadlock paralyzed the county.

​At its core, the friction ignited when the Assembly introduced sweeping reallocations to the budget estimates submitted by the Executive, shifting funds away from proposed garbage privatization and national road projects while questioning the legal frameworks of vital initiatives. 

When Governor Ndeti referred the Appropriation Bill back via a memorandum, the Assembly, led by Speaker Anne Kiusya, deemed it inadmissible. The dispute inevitably spilled over into the High Court, forcing the county to limp along on a restrictive 50 percent interim expenditure authority.

​The human cost of this institutional elbowing weighed heavily on the ground, affecting everything from staff salaries to basic public health and sanitation.

​Stepping into the breach to heal the fractured leadership, the Senate Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations, chaired by Senator Mohamed Abbas, convened a session at Parliament Buildings earlier today to cut through the political posturing, following a request for a statement from Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu.

​The senators pulled no punches in holding both arms of the county government accountable. Senator Catherine Mumma, the Vice Chairperson of the committee, did not mince her words when addressing the procedural breakdown.

​"Speaker Kiusya, you are the custodian of the procedures of the House. You need to be honest enough to admit that you did not follow the procedure," she counseled, adding, "The speaker is supposed to be blind. Your job is to facilitate the process of the house. It is not you versus the executive."

​Echoing the urgency of the citizens' suffering, Senator Margaret Kamar painted a vivid picture of the ground reality, pointing out that "Machakos County is so dirty. People are suffering simply because somebody somewhere decided to do what he or she thinks is right without following the law".

​Senator Peris Tobiko sternly reminded the leaders that "nobody, not even the President, is above the law," cautioning that stubbornness risked crossing into an abuse of office, while Senator Richard Onyonka emphasized that true progress demanded goodwill from both sides.

​That earnest call for goodwill ultimately pierced through the political fog, culminating in a powerful turning point where the County Assembly and the Governor officially buried the hatchet, promising to work together for the greater good of Machakos residents.

​In a moment of profound reconciliation before the Senate committee, Governor Ndeti extended an olive branch, affirming her desire for unity.

​"I am not your enemy. I am your mother. And I'm always there. Machakos is ours. Nobody will come from outside and build Machakos for us," she stated.

​Embracing this renewed spirit of cooperation, Speaker Kiusya agreed to regularize parliamentary procedures and commit the memorandum back to the proper channels for swift resolution.

​Emphasizing the ultimate accountability of leaders to the electorate, Committee Chairperson Senator Mohamed Abbas remarked, "Political differences should not make Machakos residents to suffer. It's the people who will decide who to vote for. We are the employees of the public."

​With both leaders pledging to put the welfare of the people ahead of personal or political friction, the dark cloud over Machakos has finally lifted, paving the way for clean streets, revived development, and a brighter, united future for every resident.