Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has accused President William Ruto of targeting him over his opposition to the planned upgrade of Kitale Level 5 Hospital, intensifying their political dispute over the roles of national and county governments.
Natembeya said his disagreement with the President stemmed from what he described as disregard for the Constitution and the responsibilities assigned to county governments under devolution.
Speaking amid the dispute, the governor said he had advised the national government to invest in a university instead of intervening in projects he considers the responsibility of the county government.
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“They came, and I told them we have three hospitals in Trans Nzoia, and I said instead of fighting for county projects, if you have funds, build a university because that is what we need,” Natembeya said.
He claimed he had declined to endorse the proposed hospital intervention, arguing that the county had other development priorities that could benefit from national government investment.
The governor further alleged that Ruto was targeting him because he had chosen to speak openly about issues affecting the country.
“Ruto is fighting me because I speak the truth. Before he gets to you, he will have to have finished me,” Natembeya said.
The remarks add to tensions between the two leaders over the planned hospital upgrade, which became a point of contention during the President’s development tour of Trans Nzoia in mid-October.
During the tour, Ruto launched the proposed upgrade of Kitale Level 5 Hospital and accused Natembeya of failing to support the project.
The President defended the national government’s intervention, presenting the upgrade as part of efforts to improve healthcare services in the region.
Natembeya, however, argued that the disagreement went beyond the hospital project and raised broader questions about the constitutional responsibilities of the two levels of government.
“I tell the President, we must respect the Constitution. Let governors do what the Constitution says they should do,” he said.
Natembeya also appealed to the military, which is involved in the hospital upgrade, to avoid being drawn into the political dispute.
“And I want to tell the military, this is a squabble between Ruto and Natembeya. Don’t get engaged in civilian squabbles,” he said.
The governor insisted that all parties involved in the project should operate within the law and respect the constitutional framework governing devolution.
He also questioned the recognition given to county-funded development projects, citing the commissioning of a market that he said had been built by the Trans Nzoia County Government.
The dispute has brought renewed attention to the division of responsibilities between national and county governments, particularly in healthcare delivery and development planning.
While Natembeya argues that county governments should be allowed to carry out their constitutionally assigned functions, Ruto has defended the planned hospital upgrade as an intervention intended to improve healthcare services.
The disagreement leaves the Kitale Level 5 Hospital project at the centre of a wider political debate over county autonomy, cooperation between the two levels of government and the delivery of public services.
