Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi has claimed that his battles with the national government are part of a wider effort to weaken him politically and pave the way for his removal before the 2027 General Election.
Wamatangi said the pressure started after he refused to support what he described as attempts by senior government officials and some elected leaders to take public land while presenting the projects as affordable housing developments.
According to the governor, the alleged plan included efforts to sponsor an impeachment motion against him through the Kiambu County Assembly. He said the move was intended to disrupt his administration, frustrate the implementation of his manifesto and turn residents against him.
He spoke in Kiambu while giving an account of his four years in office, where he also highlighted projects his administration says it has undertaken across the county.
Wamatangi said several actions against him, including the freezing of his bank accounts, EACC investigations and the demolition of his 40-year-old business in Nairobi this year, were connected to the alleged political plan.
"The plot aimed to throw my administration into chaos, derail the implementation of my manifesto, tarnish my name through high-level propaganda and cripple me financially to set the stage for my removal and spark a voter revolt against me in 2027" Wamatangi claimed.
The governor said he had been subjected to more pressure than other leaders in government, arguing that his refusal to allow the alleged grabbing of public land had made him a target.
"No other leader has been tormented by this government more than Wamatangi. One would even wonder, whom did I offend? Just because I refused to let some elected leaders grab public land," he added.
He cited a 100-acre parcel in Gatuanyaga, Thika, which he said is valued at more than Sh3 billion, as one of the properties allegedly targeted.
Wamatangi also named a prime parcel in Tigoni, Limuru, owned by the National Potato Research Centre, among the land he claimed was at risk of being taken.
The governor did not identify the individuals he accused of being behind the alleged attempts to acquire the land. There was also no evidence presented to support his claims.
As he defended his record, Wamatangi said his administration had made investments in education, health, transport, trade and water services since taking office.
He said 512 new Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres had been constructed, alongside 32 new hospitals. Medical equipment had also been renewed in an effort to improve services in county health facilities.
The county, he said, had installed 12,000 solar streetlights, built bus parks and established 26 new markets.
Wamatangi further said his administration had connected 150,000 more households to water, while revenue collected directly by the county had also increased.
Own Source Revenue, according to the governor, rose from Sh2.9 billion in 2022 to Sh6.5 billion in 2026.
He said the additional revenue had helped the county improve 19 Vocational Training Centres and provide farm inputs to more than 750,000 farmers.
Despite his claims of political persecution, Wamatangi has faced corruption investigations that have since reached the courts.
On April 15, 2025, EACC detectives raided his home in Kabete as part of investigations into graft allegations. The agency said more than Sh12 million in cash was recovered during the operation.
The governor was later investigated over alleged road tenders involving the Kenya National Highways Authority and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority covering the period between 2017 and 2021.
Both cases were eventually taken to court, but Wamatangi has rejected the allegations and maintained that the cases are politically driven.
He has accused those behind the investigations of seeking to intimidate and blackmail him because of his political stance.
Wamatangi has already ruled out defending his seat in 2027 on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, saying he has faced frustration and what he described as political persecution by the State.
He further argued that the government's actions against him and other political leaders had increased public anger and weakened support for the ruling party.
According to the governor, the growing dissatisfaction among Kenyans could leave UDA facing greater unpopularity as the country heads towards the next General Election.