Image: COURTESY
Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja claims that the county's governance has called her names and threatened her for carrying out her job.
Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday, Karanja claimed that it is no secret that the county leadership is actively seeking to undermine her status as Nakuru County Senator.
She said that this had escalated to the point where she was receiving threats from private phone numbers.
"I come from a county where I think everybody knows that intimidation, blackmailing and frustrations is the order of the day... I think everybody knows what the governor is doing to undermine my oversight role is beyond this world.
"I've even been called on private numbers, I've been threatened, you've never seen me enter here like a mlevi (drunkard) but I have been called mlevi and all sorts of names," Karanja said.
The Nakuru Senator also accused the Nakuru county leadership of disobeying court orders.
She claimed the county executive has a huge disregard for the law to the extent that suspected goons disrupted a peaceful protest organised by lawyers in Nakuru over the disobedience of court orders.
Karanja called on the Senate Standing Committee Justice, Legal Affairs, and Human Rights to write to the Nakuru county leadership.
She added that the Council of Governors should also caution the Nakuru county executive and other governors who reportedly disobey court orders, saying that it is how devolution may die.
"We need the committee for legal to write a letter to the governor and warn her... They are saying we are killing devolution but they are the ones killing the devolution. I think the COG should warn all governors because they are the ones killing devolution," she said.
"We continue that way, there is no need of having governors in counties. In fact, Nakuru residents are saying they'd rather have no governor than have governor Susan Kihika, and I am not shamed to say this. Senators should not be intimidated in doing their oversight role and should ensure we bring order in all counties starting with Nakuru county."
Karanja and Kihika have been embroiled in a fight over the closure of the War Memorial hospital in Nakuru County.
The Nakuru War Memorial Hospital management and the Nakuru County government have been embroiled in a tussle over the 25-acre piece of land.
For months, the county government has been fighting to take over the facility after its 95-year lease expired in 2021.
Karanja insists the closure of the hospital is hurting many residents who sought medical services from there.
In a press address on Sunday, Senator Karanja claimed that the county leadership irregularly ordered the county security officers to man the facility and deny anyone seeking access.
The Senator further claimed that police had not withdrawn officers from the said facility, alleging that the officers are still there and operations have remained paralysed.
