Kitui County Assembly Speaker Hon. Kevin Kinengo Katisya has accused the Wiper party of attempting to frustrate the Migwani Ward by-election, saying residents should be given an opportunity to elect their representative of choice. His remarks come as political temperatures rise ahead of the scheduled Migwani MCA by-election on November 17, 2026.
Kinengo said he now understands why Wiper allegedly moved to court over the matter, arguing that Migwani residents have a constitutional right to elect a new MCA after former ward representative Harrison Maluki Mawia left the elective position to take up the post of Clerk of the Kitui County Assembly. Mawia was sworn in as Clerk on August 6 after his appointment was approved by the Assembly.
The Speaker accused Wiper and its party leadership of repeatedly opposing Maluki’s political progress, claiming the party fought him when he served as Migwani MCA and is now opposed to his appointment as Clerk. Kinengo further alleged that Wiper had also previously opposed other young leaders from the region, describing Maluki as a 35-year-old whose rise should be supported rather than frustrated.
“Wiper Party leader doesn’t support youths,” Kinengo claimed, adding that he had previously served as Kalonzo Musyoka’s personal assistant and considered himself a “living testimony” of his relationship with the Wiper leader. He urged young people supporting the party to critically examine what he described as its treatment of emerging leaders.
Kinengo challenged Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka to field a candidate in Migwani, saying he would equally support his own candidate in the contest. He declared that the people of Migwani would ultimately decide their preferred representative, while warning political actors from outside Mwingi West against interfering in what he described as the affairs of the constituency.
The Speaker also called on Wiper to withdraw its court case, arguing that continued legal battles over the election process would deny Migwani residents the opportunity to exercise their democratic right. He accused the party of fearing the by-election and said the people would have the final say through the ballot.
Kinengo’s remarks set the stage for a potentially heated political contest in Migwani, with political parties expected to begin positioning themselves ahead of the November 17 poll. IEBC has directed parties intending to participate to submit details of their primary contestants and dates by September 30, while the official campaign period is scheduled to run from October 21 to November 14.
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