What publicly appeared as a constitutional and fiscal standoff between the Kitui County Assembly and Governor Julius Malombe’s administration is now emerging as a deeper political war driven by competing interests, internal power struggles and growing tensions over control of county resources and succession politics ahead of 2027.
Multiple sources familiar with events leading to Tuesday’s dramatic rejection of the FY 2025/2026 Second Supplementary Budget have told Channel 15 News Inside Politics that beneath the legal arguments raised on the floor of the House lay simmering political disagreements between the Executive and the Assembly leadership.
The supplementary budget was formally returned to the Executive by Speaker Kevin Kinengo Katisya after the Assembly cited serious legal, fiscal and procedural irregularities. But insiders now claim the legal objections were only one side of a broader political confrontation that has been quietly escalating inside Kitui’s power circles.
According to sources close to the Assembly leadership, the biggest trigger was the contested allocation of funds meant for construction of ward offices for Members of County Assembly, a matter that has repeatedly strained relations between the Executive and the Legislature.
“This had nothing to do with legality alone. The real issue is the money for ward offices. The House views those offices as critical and unless that allocation is protected, there will be no budget,” a senior ally of Speaker Kinengo told Channel 15 News on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
The source further claimed that frustrations had been building within the Assembly after members allegedly discovered attempts to reallocate funds tied to ward office construction despite procurement processes already being underway.
“This is not the first time this is happening. Even last financial year, a supplementary budget was referred back after disagreements over allocation of funds for Assembly offices. What happened this week is part of a much bigger political fight between the Executive and the Assembly,” the insider added.
The revelations now cast fresh light on the unusually detailed communication delivered by Speaker Kinengo during Tuesday’s plenary sitting in which he faulted the County Treasury over omission of re-voted funds, negative IFMIS balances, unrealistic own-source revenue projections and introduction of new projects through the supplementary budget.
While the Assembly publicly framed its decision as a constitutional duty to protect fiscal discipline and uphold the law, political observers say the confrontation also reflects widening mistrust between Governor Malombe’s administration and MCAs over influence, institutional autonomy and political positioning ahead of the next election cycle.
The political temperatures inside the Assembly chambers rose even higher after MCAs turned their guns on members of Governor Malombe’s Executive, accusing some county officials of abandoning service delivery to engage in premature politics and succession campaigns.
During the same afternoon sitting, legislators strongly condemned what they termed as increasing involvement of county officers in active politics while still serving in government positions.
The Assembly accused some officials of engaging in early political mobilisation and using public offices to advance partisan interests, something MCAs described as unlawful and a betrayal of public trust.
In a separate communication from the Chair, Speaker Kinengo cited Article 75(1) of the Constitution and provisions of the Leadership and Integrity Act which require public officers to remain politically neutral and avoid activities that compromise impartiality in public service.
He directed the Committee on Labour and Social Service to investigate the conduct of county officers and tasked sectoral committees with scrutinising County Executive departments over alleged partisan political activities.
The Speaker further recommended that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Office of the Controller of Budget and the Office of the Auditor-General investigate allegations of misuse of public resources and involvement of public officers in political activities at taxpayers’ expense.
The remarks immediately sparked reactions within Governor Malombe’s administration, with some Executive members appearing to interpret the Assembly’s statements as politically motivated attacks.
Kitui Chief Officer for Tourism Ferdinand Kathenge Ndema quickly responded online in remarks widely seen as directed at the Assembly leadership and Speaker Kinengo.
“Nobody should waste time answering or bothered with such comment from him. We have been in the game before he became 61st MCA,” Kathenge posted.
His response further exposed the deepening hostility between sections of the Executive and the Assembly as the political fallout from the rejected budget continued to escalate online and within county political circles.
The political undertones surrounding the budget battle became even more apparent after the House adjourned sittings until June 2 to allow members time for consultations with the Executive on both the supplementary budget and the upcoming FY 2026/2027 main budget estimates.
Officially, the adjournment was presented as a procedural move to facilitate consultations and participation in other Assembly programmes. However, insiders say the break also creates space for intense behind-the-scenes negotiations aimed at resolving the standoff over allocations, ward office funding and broader political interests.
The unfolding confrontation now paints a picture of an increasingly fragile relationship between Governor Malombe’s administration and the County Assembly at a time when political alignments, succession calculations and control of county development priorities are beginning to shape governance decisions across Kitui.
For now, the supplementary budget remains in limbo, but behind the legal language and procedural objections lies a much larger political reality — a fierce struggle over resources, influence and the future balance of power inside Kitui County Government.
