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In a letter addressed to the Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade & Industry, Rebecca Miano, several elected Members of Parliament from Kiambu County have raised concerns over the delay in gazetting the Economic Processing Zone (EPZ) for Kiambu.
The letter, signed by twelve MPs from the county and Senator Karungo wa Thang'wa, expressed congratulations to CS Rebecca Miano on her appointment and highlighted their awareness of the gazetting of the Murang'a EPZ in the Kenya Gazette issue number 208 dated October 31, 2023.
The MPs asserted that following a consultative meeting with President William Ruto on October 27, 2023, they had requested the president's assistance in gazetting both the Kiambu and Murang'a EPZs.
The president, according to the letter, positively assented to this request.
However, the MPs expressed concern that while the Murang'a EPZ has been gazetted, the Kiambu EPZ is still pending.
The letter urged CS Miano to expedite the gazetting process for the Kiambu County EPZ to ensure alignment with the pace of development in Murang'a.
The MPs emphasized that any delay could result in the loss of investors to Murang'a County.
“We wish to request that you kindly fast-track the gazetting of the Kiambu County EPZ so as to move at the same pace with that of our neighbors - Murang'a. This will preempt the inevitable loss by our county of all investors to Murang'a County,” the Kiambu MPs said.
The letter also highlighted the perceived uncooperative stance of Kiambu Governor Kimani wa Matangi, and accused him of deliberate efforts to sabotage national government projects, including the EPZ and affordable housing projects.
The MPs requested the Cabinet Secretary to consider the interests of the people of Kiambu, particularly the large population of unemployed youth who are eager for income opportunities from such investments.
“You may already have noticed the uncooperative character of our county governor in this matter plus his deliberate efforts to sabotage most of the National Government projects including this EPZ and the affordable housing projects.
“While the same is not lost on us, we urge you to kindly consider the people of Kiambu especially the huge population of unemployed youth yearning for a source income from such investments and kindly downplay Governor Kimani Wamatangi's deliberate sabotage undermining of the National Government projects in Kiambu as he pursues a parochial and narrow selfish personal agenda,” the letter stated.
Addressing the urgency of the matter, the MPs emphasized the need for quick action and assured CS Miano of their commitment to collaborating with her ministry and the national government to realize development projects in Kiambu.
In a reaction to the letter, Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata said that Muranga and Kiambu counties should not be competing but complement each other.
"No no my brothers and sisters from Kiambu. Muranga and Kiambu is one. All we have done is to unite the two counties back to their original motherland, Muranga," he said.
In a response, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wa said that Kiambu county was dealing with the consequences of the decision to elect the current leadership.
He accused Governor Wamatangi of sabotaging Kiambu MCAs as well as President Ruto.
"My brother Governor Irungu Kang'ata, while as I agree on the unity of our two counties, please don’t laugh at us. You know both our counties were to share 50-50 and it is only that you were more focused, visionary and people centric on the development of your county than the case is for us.
"You do know we have a serious problem of an inept unfocussed, planless, visionless and corrupt leadership that is lost in shadow boxing everyone right from MCAs to the presidency. Please brother don’t laugh at us. We are dealing na hali yetu," Ichungwa said.
The Kiambu governor has also been facing threats of impeachment by MCAs.