The political winds in Kitui have turned cold for Speaker Kelvin Kinengo, whose once-commanding grip on the county assembly is now slipping into history. At the Ithookwe Showground on Monday, during an event graced by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, the embattled speaker appeared flanked by only seven MCAs — a damning image that betrayed his fast-crumbling political base. Despite desperate appeals for President Ruto’s intervention to safe him from the looming impeachment, it is increasingly clear: Kinengo’s impeachment is not a threat, but an inevitability.
Once a star pupil under the patronage of Wiper Party boss Kalonzo Musyoka, Kinengo is now scorned as a traitor who traded loyalty for ambition. He has been accused of consorting with State House under the cover of night, plotting the erosion of devolution in Kitui and the sabotage of Kalonzo’s influence in Ukambani. His political pivot to UDA, which was brokered by PS Jonathan Mueke, has earned him the moniker “Judas Iscariot of Kitui” from former allies who feel he betrayed the very movement that shaped his rise.
Among the 7 MCAs who accompanied the depressed Speaker Kinengo yesterday at Ithookwe includes Paul Maluki, Priscilla Makumi, Deborah Mutuku, Joseph Musyoka (Mameni), Benjamin Mulandi, and Stephen Katana — few command the sway to stop the tidal wave of discontent building in the assembly. DP Kindiki’s promise to shield Kinengo from impeachment rang more like a swan song than a battle cry. Even with national figures stepping in, it’s clear Kinengo has lost the numbers and the trust that once made him a political force in Kitui.
As calls to defend devolution grow louder, the Wiper leadership is tightening the noose, vowing to expunge all UDA-aligned elements within its ranks. Speaker Kinengo’s plea to the Ruto government may be his final act in an unraveling drama. The countdown has begun, and unless a miracle descends on Kitui’s political landscape, Kinengo’s next address may be not from the speaker’s chair, but from the shadows of political exile.
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