Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi has come under sharp criticism after his county’s exhibition at a recent showcase was dismissed as underwhelming and backward-looking. The county presented piglets and chicks as symbols of success, a move that ignited backlash from leaders and residents who argued that Kiambu deserves far more ambitious projects.
Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba led the criticism, contrasting Kiambu’s display with Murang’a County under Governor Irungu Kang’ata. Murang’a, she noted, showcased innovation in health technology, food security, digitisation of approvals, and other forward-looking initiatives. By comparison, Kiambu’s emphasis on piglets and chicks, she argued, left the county “with ridicule.”
“With over Ksh13 billion annually from the national government and another Ksh6 billion from own-source revenue, Kiambu should be telling a different story,” Wamuchomba stated. She suggested that the governor could have highlighted more transformative achievements such as thriving pork sausage industries, dairy processing plants, or other agro-industrial ventures that generate jobs and wealth.
The MP further questioned the sustainability of the governor’s approach. She pressed Wamatangi to explain where farmers receiving piglets and chicks would buy animal feeds and at what cost. She proposed that Kiambu adopt Murang’a’s subsidies model to cushion farmers against high input prices. Additionally, she asked why the county has not revived the defunct Uplands Bacon Factory in Limuru to guarantee a ready market for pig farmers.
Wamuchomba also recommended the establishment of an animal feed manufacturing plant to support the poultry and pig farming sector. On the technology front, she urged Wamatangi to borrow from Murang’a’s ICT innovations in hospitals and digitised county approvals to enhance efficiency and transparency.
“The era of handouts disguised as empowerment is long gone. Kiambu needs industries that create jobs. When people have jobs and money in their pockets, they can buy piglets, chicks, or whatever they need, not queue for freebies,” she declared.
The criticism has now sparked debate over whether Kiambu, one of Kenya’s largest and wealthiest counties, is punching below its weight in terms of innovation and development.
