Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua has sharply criticised Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah following remarks made in Kitui County on Sunday, deepening a political dispute over sand harvesting and the government’s affordable housing programme.
Ichung’wah, who spoke during a public event in the county, defended sand harvesting, linking it to the supply of materials for affordable housing projects.
His comments have drawn strong opposition from local leaders who argue that the activity has caused environmental damage and social challenges in the region.
In his response, Wambua dismissed Ichung’wah’s remarks and questioned his involvement in Kitui matters.
“You have no moral authority to speak, advise, or dictate anything—anything at all—about Kitui County. Not here in Kitui, not in Kikuyu, not in the Senate, and nowhere else,” Wambua said.
The senator also took aim at Ichung’wah’s political standing, claiming he should focus on his constituency instead of engaging in Kitui’s affairs.
“You are a coward, facing a vote of no confidence in Kikuyu Constituency, and Kitui County will not give you any platform to revive your already dead political career,” he added.
The disagreement centres on sand harvesting, a long-standing issue in Kitui that has been associated with illegal operations, environmental degradation, and disputes over control of the resource.
Wambua accused the national government of protecting individuals involved in the trade, warning that residents would move to defend local rivers.
“Now that it is clear the Ruto government is offering full protection to sand barons to destroy our rivers, our people will now make no mistake in coming out to aggressively protect their rivers,” he said.
He rejected the argument that sand harvesting is necessary for development under the affordable housing programme.
“Those affordable houses you're worshipping are just nonsense to us,” Wambua stated.
The senator further linked sand harvesting to insecurity and social harm in the county, alleging that criminal networks tied to the trade have contributed to violence and exploitation.
“Sand cartels have killed our innocent people, raped our girls and women, led to increased school dropouts in our county and our position remains no to illegal sand harvesting,” he said.
Wambua also claimed that key figures behind the sand trade were already known locally.
“A few months ago, I said these sand cartels would be unmasked. Now Kitui County knows the chief sand cartel—someone who has for a long time moved from one river to another in our county, loading trucks with sand for personal commercial gain through Ruto’s Affordable Housing scheme,” he said.
He ended his remarks with a direct warning to the Kikuyu MP.
“This is Kitui County, and Kitui County is my business. Don’t dare me.”