Natembeya: I’ve been in gov’t for 26 years, Murkomen has been a politician for 10, tuheshimiane!

Former Rift Valley Regional Commissioner (RC) George Natembeya has reaffirmed that his resolve to contest for Trans Nzoia’s gubernatorial seat at the August polls remains unwavering despite protests from a faction of local politicians he crossed paths with during his time as police boss.

Natembeya’s January 12 decision to resign from his National Police Service (NPS) post was met with mixed reaction by Kenyans and politicians alike, especially after rumors circulated that he was set to take over a plum State job at Harambee House following his exit. The notion was however later debunked by the former RC.

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and Tiaty MP William Kamket have notably publicly opposed Natembeya’s venture into politics.

“I have been in government for 26 years, Murkomen has been a politician for 10. He has nothing to tell me about government so wacha tuheshimiane tu, yeye afanye kazi yake na mimi nifanye yangu,” Natembeya said during an interview on Citizen T’s JKLive show.

Local politicians, Natembeya added, have a knack for mixing politics with the personal lives of their perceived rivals in an effort to deter up and coming political aspirants from realizing their full potential.

“Murkomen’s mouth has been a blessing to me, he basically made me and I would like him to come to Trans Nzoia and say what he has been speaking. The more he paces his mouth the more people love me,” he said.

“I have also had run ins with Kamket because of cattle rustling cases and every time they report to the DCI they say that it is Natembeya who has done it. People are just obsessed with me because of the freshness I bring to leadership and also because Kenyans are listening to me.”

The former RC also highlighted that he intends to dispel the notion of politics being a murky affair that only seasoned politicians can venture into, so as to urge young aspiring politicians and women leaders to contest for elective positions without having to worry about perceived political bigwigs.

“Politicians want to make it murky, so that they scare some of us from entering that field. You know if you are being insulted, your family will be insulted and that is what they believe in but we still want to go in," he said.

“Some of us want to sanitise politics so that women who even want to come out and vie will not fear going into politics."

Natembeya similarly underlined that he seeks to introduce focused leadership in Trans Nzoia, an aspect he feels is lacking in the region, so much so that he resigned from his police position despite the fact that he would have likely been promoted to a more plum State job by the next government.

“What is lacking in Trans Nzoia is focused leadership and that is why I have sacrificed all the luxuries. I know if I had I stayed where I was any incoming government would have actually promoted me to PS or CS. That would have been about me getting promoted but this time round it is not about me but the people of Trans Nzoia,” he said.

With a career in public service spanning over two decades, Natembeya consequently expressed confidence that his experience would give him an upper hand in his gubernatorial bid.

Likening his previous position to that of a small president, Natembeya underscored that his experience dealing with people from all walks of life will come in handy should he clinch Trans Nzoia’s gubernatorial seat at the August elections.

“As the RC of Rift Valley. I used to run all the affairs of the national government in the Rift Valley, you are basically like a small president there. A governor does executive work at the county level and therefore the 26 years I have been an administrator I want to believe it was just preparing me to be the governor of Trans Nzoia,” he said.