Constitutional lawyer Willis Otieno has sparked heated debate after criticizing Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika for launching a water tap as a county project.
The controversy began when a photo of Governor Kihika commissioning a tap circulated online, prompting Otieno to question the quality of leadership and priorities at the county level. Writing on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, Otieno expressed disbelief that a governor with vast resources would choose such a small-scale project as her flagship achievement.
“A whole governor, with all the budget, all the power, all the prestige… and your big legacy is launching a tap? Not a hospital, not an industry, not a program to employ youth; a tap,” Otieno posted.
The lawyer compared the Nakuru governor’s actions with Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata, who has launched hospitals, dialysis centers, and agricultural programs. His post quickly went viral, fueling the trending phrase “tap politics” on X and Google.
Governor Kihika, however, dismissed the criticism, accusing opponents of reviving old propaganda. She clarified that the water tap was functional but admitted she initially struggled to operate it during the ceremony.
“What is this foolery ati launching a dry tap? Propaganda ya two years ago mumeamsha tena? For the record, it wasn’t a dry tap, I just couldn’t operate it at first,” Kihika wrote.
Otieno doubled down, mocking the optics of the event. He argued that even landlords commission taps daily without calling a crowd, joking that “caretakers deserve to be called Mheshimiwa” if such projects count as leadership milestones.
The exchange has since dominated online discussions, with analysts suggesting it highlights growing public frustration over misplaced county priorities. Many Kenyans see the episode as symbolic of a wider problem: leaders celebrating basic amenities instead of tackling critical issues such as healthcare, employment, and industrial growth.
As “tap politics” continues to trend, the debate underscores a deeper question: are governors delivering real development, or just symbolic gestures?
