By Evans Nyakundi and Hillary Mageka
The Kisii County government has withdrawn two official vehicles assigned to the Deputy Governor Joash Maangi.
The vehicles were taken from his official residence in Kisii town next to the residence of Kisii County Governor James Ongwae on Friday at 4 am.
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Following the incident, DG Maangi claimed that his life is in danger and asked police to provide him with more security officers.
“Last night (Friday) at about 4am, a contingent of about 12 armed policemen came to my residence in Kisii town ready with a tow truck to pull away my county government-allocated vehicles but my domestic staff offered to give them the keys and they took away the vehicles,” disgruntled Maangi wrote on his Facebook account.
“Owing to the above, I have reasonable believe that my life is truly in danger. I ask all Kenyans at large to pray for me. My life is in danger,” he added.
Maangi, who spoke to People Daily from his Nairobi residence, confirmed the incident saying the armed police officers in the company of the county enforcement officers raided his official residence at the wee hours of the day and demanded surrender of the car keys.
He said that the officers had a tow truck which they intended to use in towing the vehicles if they were not given the keys.
The deputy governor also confirmed that he has reported the matter at Kisii police station.
According to him, the move by his boss Governor James Ongwae was meant to frustrate since he is an ardent supporter of Deputy President William Ruto.
“Governor Ongwae is just scared of me because of my support for DP Ruto. What he must know that his days are numbered for EACC is closing in. The rot in the county, which I am unfortunately part of, is sinking in graft,” he said.
Asked whether he had contacted the governor over the incident, Maangi said he has not contacted Ongwae and does not intend to.
However, he dismissed opponents asking him to resign from the Kisii county government over his graft claims.
“There is a time President Uhuru Kenyatta told his senior government officers to his face over rampant corruption and mismanagement which had riddled his government. Did he resign?” he replied.
The deputy governor said he will not be intimidated by the governor and the security agents because of his political stand.
Efforts to get comment from Governor Ongwae over the incident were unsuccessful but the governor’s communications director, Isaac Ongiri, said that nobody has withdrawn the deputy governor’s vehicles.
“He is an elected leader and he is fully entitled to vehicles. I am not aware that his vehicles have been withdrawn,” he told the People Daily on phone on Sunday.
