Alfred Mutua Left Devastated Over Abandoned Machakos People’s Park, Sparks Fierce Political Clash With Governor Wavinya Ndeti

By Mark Vundi

MACHAKOS, Kenya — A bitter political war of words has erupted in Machakos County after Cabinet Secretary and former Governor Dr. Alfred Mutua expressed deep heartbreak over the state of the flagship Machakos People’s Park.

Following an unannounced inspection tour of public amenities in Machakos Town, Mutua lamented that the once-vibrant public recreation grounds, which served as a key tourist destination and revenue generator during his tenure, had been severely neglected and allowed to deteriorate into a state of disrepair.

Launched in 2014 as a premier leisure facility featuring Africa’s first open-air amphitheatre, manicured lawns, modern fountains and family play areas, the 40-acre park overlooking Maruba Dam was widely celebrated as a benchmark for county-level infrastructure.

However, Mutua described a starkly different reality during his recent visit, pointing out that the park had lost its former glory due to what he termed poor maintenance under the current administration led by Governor Wavinya Ndeti.

Expressing his frustration, the Labour Cabinet Secretary questioned the county leadership’s commitment to preserving public assets.

“It breaks my heart to see a facility that was built with public resources and great vision allowed to deteriorate to such a level that people now jokingly refer to it as a ‘snake park.’ Development is not just about launching and commissioning projects. It is about maintaining them, protecting public investments and ensuring they continue serving the people. Leadership must ultimately be judged by results, not rhetoric or promises,” Mutua stated.

The biting assessment triggered a swift and fierce response from Governor Wavinya Ndeti, who dismissed Mutua’s tour as staged political drama aimed at reviving his political profile at the expense of her administration’s development record.

Dismissing her predecessor’s criticisms, Ndeti accused Mutua of focusing on optics rather than addressing the broader structural needs of Machakos residents.

“It is quite laughable to watch former Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, now a Cabinet Secretary, attempt to resurrect his long-dormant ‘Cobra Squad’ filming career. The story of Machakos today is therefore not about cameras, staged productions or political theatrics. It is about results, transformation and putting resources where they directly improve the lives of our people,” Governor Ndeti stated.

Ndeti defended her record by pointing out that previous administrations had spent billions of shillings over a decade while leaving critical sectors underfunded.

She highlighted her government’s focus on grassroots empowerment and core service delivery, including the establishment of the Machakos Youth Service (MYS), expansion of healthcare infrastructure and implementation of major road-tarmacking projects.

The exchange between the two leaders has reignited debate over the management of public resources and the sustainability of major development projects in Machakos, with the People’s Park now at the centre of a broader political dispute over the county’s development priorities.