Kisii, Nyamira MCAs adjourn house sessions to meet Ruto in Nairobi

Kisii Governor Simba Arati will lead a section of Members of County Assembly (MCAs) from the Gusii region to meet President William Ruto on Thursday.

Already, both the Kisii and Nyamira County Assemblies have adjourned their sittings to enable members to travel to Nairobi ahead of the meeting.

The meeting is seen as a strategy to counter former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i’s grip on the region ahead of three impending by-elections in Nyamira.

Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo, an ally of Dr. Matiang’i who is also the UPA party leader, has been invited but is yet to decide if he will attend.

On Tuesday, UDA party MPs led by National Assembly Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro and party Treasurer Japheth Nyakundi criticised Nyaribo for declining Ruto’s invite.

“I am yet to decide if I am attending or not. If the meeting is truly about development, then I will go. However, if it’s about politics, then I will be out,” Nyaribo said, wondering why the UDA MPs were targeting him.

This will be the second time that Ruto meets leaders from the region within a month ahead of his impending tour of Gusiiland later this month.

Already, the MCAs are facing criticism over their plan to honour the invitation to State House, with critics saying the county legislators are neglecting their roles.

Kisii County MCAs were forced to hold a press conference to explain their decision to meet Ruto.

Majority Leader Henry Moracha, who is also the Bassi Central MCA, announced that they had adjourned the House to go to the State House and discuss development projects such as Gusii Stadium, Kisii Cancer Centre, Suneka Airstrip, and road projects.

Masige East MCA Michael Motume said they will use the opportunity to discuss their welfare, including the pension of MCAs.

“As MCAs of Kisii County, we have received an invitation that the leadership, both elected and nominated, pay a courtesy call to the Head of State, and we have resolved as a House that we will be going there. MCAs are not entitled to any pension benefit. We are going to ask him to fast-track the law to ensure the security of MCAs when they retire.”

He added:

“We are going to extend an appeal and request to him that, as much as devolution came into being, the functionality of the office of the MCAs has not been accomplished. We are pushing and agitating that the Head of State fast-tracks and considers the creation of a Ward Development Fund,” Motume said.

Ruto met a delegation of grassroots leaders and MPs three weeks ago, where he promised the region several projects, among them the Nyamira State University and the expansion of the Sotik-Kisii road.

“Kenya’s transformation demands decisive and bold leadership anchored in progressive and innovative plans and policies. Through difficult but necessary choices, we have stabilised our economy, shielding it from turbulence and restoring investor confidence,” President Ruto said on Friday, August 15, 2025.