By John Mugendi
After a section of Tharaka Nithi County leaders led by Senator Kithure Kindiki, Women Representative Beatrice Nkatha and Tharaka MP Gitonga Murugara accused Njuki of neglecting the headquarters Kathwana, the county boss has come out to clear his name.
The leaders accused the county boss of neglecting Kathwana and taking development projects to Chuka town.
Speaking in Igambang’ombe, Njuki who seemed angered by the leaders who spoke during a recent tour of Deputy President William Ruto at the county headquarters said he had transformed Kathwana from a muddy-rural village shopping centre to a modern municipality.
He said when he took over the county leadership in 2017, Kathwana, which is the seat of power for the devolved unit, was just a sleepy market with no life but currently, it’s full of energy with businesses blossoming everyday.
In 2017, Governor Njuki said, the market residents were fetching dirty water from a nearby river and within a few months they had plenty of clean-piped water in their premises.
He said for proper planning of the municipality, he came up with a state-of-the-art spatial plan that is helping in bringing up a modern city.
“Kathwana municipality residents can now enjoy clean drinking water in their houses unlike before when they had to buy dirty water from a nearby river that was sold by vendors,” said Mr Njuki.
He said he went on and tarmacked the streets within the Central Business District (CBD) area and the road connecting county government offices to Mate Road that joins Embu, Tharaka-Nithi and Meru counties on the lower side.
He said the construction of the municipality’s two-storied modern open-air market that will accommodate 3500 traders is on course and that it will be opened early 2022 for traders to use.
Mr Njuki said unlike before when the market turned dark with sunset, traders can now go on with their work for 24 hours courtesy of the floodlights and street lights that illuminate all the corners.
The County Boss noted that apart from the construction of a modern governor’s office, he also brought up a 1500-capacity multi-purpose social hall and that the Sh400 million executive offices block is on top gear despite financial challenges by the national government.
He said the governor’s official residence at Ruguri Hill is almost complete and will be opened on a date between Christmas and January next year in a ceremony that will be attended by the villagers as the chief guests.
The County Chief also noted that the deputy governor’s residence is also complete on the other side of Mutino area and will also be opened soon.
He asked the county residents to shun political incitements by leaders who have for the last four years enjoyed themselves at the comfort of air-conditioned offices in Nairobi while he traversed the county doing development.
“Those coming to tell you that Njuki is bad have very smooth skin because they have been living in air-conditioned offices in Nairobi without caring your welfare,” he said.
He asked the county residents to keenly evaluate whether he had worked or not and not to listen to propagandists.
