Governor Cecily Mbarire a No-Show as Ruto Meets Governors at State House

Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire was notably absent during a high-level meeting convened by President William Ruto at State House on Wednesday, June 4, to review development projects and strengthen collaboration between the national and county governments.

The meeting focused on key sectors including healthcare and agriculture. President Ruto later emphasized efforts to digitize public health facilities to eliminate fraudulent institutions and announced reforms to streamline agriculture, including livestock registration and an e-voucher system for animal vaccination.

However, Mbarire’s absence stood out, especially amid ongoing speculation that elements within the government are working to undermine her leadership. Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti also skipped the meeting.

While the other governors engaged the President at State House, Mbarire met with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki at his Karen office. The meeting involved discussions on national projects in Embu and protecting agricultural value chains such as tea, coffee, macadamia, and miraa (muguka).

Kindiki later clarified that there were no differences between him and Mbarire, describing her as his sister and sharing that she had passed on her greetings. Ironically, he stated that Mbarire was attending the same governors’ meeting that she actually missed.

The tension follows Mbarire’s remarks during Madaraka Day celebrations in Embu on June 1, where she alleged that unnamed government officials were holding secret meetings to undermine her and other elected leaders in the county.

“You all know that I am the chairperson of the UDA party, and if there’s anyone who has been targeted for supporting the government, it’s me,” she said. “Some officers from Nairobi are holding night meetings in Embu to destabilize us — they act like they know our politics better.”

She warned that if the interference continued, she would publicly name those involved.

Is Mbarire being sidelined despite her loyalty to the ruling party? What do you make of the political tension in Embu? Let’s discuss in the comments.

Article By Suzy Nyongesa.