Mwingi West Member of Parliament, Charles Ngusya Nguna with President William Ruto at State House. Photo by PPS. 
By Andrew Mbuva
Mwingi West Member of Parliament, Charles Ngusya Nguna, has defended his recent visit to State House, saying it was purely driven by development interests for his constituents and not political allegiance as some have suggested.
Speaking in an interview with one of the local FMs, the outspoken legislator said he held a candid discussion with President William Ruto on key stalled projects in Mwingi West, among them the Kibwezi–Kitui–Mwingi road, whose construction stopped abruptly at Mwingi West.
“We discussed the road at length, including compensation for affected residents. I am glad to confirm that people in Mwingi West have already started receiving compensation,” Nguna said.
He revealed that his talks with the Head of State also focused on the Sports Academy at Kiio Secondary School and the Thitani Technical Training Institute, whose completion requires an additional KSh 40 million from the Ministry.
Nguna said he also pushed for improved electricity coverage, which remains low in Mwingi West, noting that his goal is to raise access levels to between 80 and 90 percent in the next five years.
“We also spoke about water challenges in the area, especially the need to rehabilitate old colonial-era dams like Makuva, Kasovi, and Thokoa,” he added.
The legislator stressed that the meeting was strictly about development, describing it as an official call by the President which he could not ignore.
“I went to State House as a person, not as a politician. It was a government office visit, not a political one,” he clarified.
Nguna, however, acknowledged that his decision to support the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had strained his relationship with the Wiper Democratic Movement, under whose ticket he was elected.
“When I voted to impeach Gachagua, I did so because I believed he was standing in the way of development in my area. That decision placed me in conflict with my party,” he said.
According to the MP, the aftermath of that vote has seen him face humiliation at various Wiper functions, including being sidelined during public events in Mwingi.
“They say, Akufukuzaye akwambii toka. The actions I’ve seen from my party clearly show I’m no longer wanted. I’ve been insulted and left out during several functions despite seeking an audience with the Party Leader to explain and even apologize,” he recounted.
Despite the friction, Nguna maintains that meeting the President does not amount to betrayal.
“It’s only in Kenya where we play bad politics. In other democracies, even opposition MPs meet the President to discuss development. That doesn’t mean they’ve defected,” he asserted.
The Mwingi West MP reiterated that he remains focused on bringing tangible development to his constituency and will continue engaging the national government whenever necessary.
“Any elected leader should be free to visit any government office. My mission is to serve the people of Mwingi West — and that’s what my visit was all about,” Nguna concluded.
