A fresh political battle has erupted in Machakos after Governor Wavinya Ndeti hit back at former governor and Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua over his criticism of the condition of the Machakos People’s Park.
The dispute was triggered by Mutua’s visit to Machakos on Tuesday, August 18, during which he toured Machakos Level 5 Hospital and the People’s Park a flagship recreational facility developed during his tenure as governor.
Mutua said he was saddened by what he found at the park, arguing that a facility that had once been a major attraction and source of pride for Machakos had deteriorated because of poor maintenance.
“From People’s Park to Snake Park. What a legacy,” Mutua said in a remark that quickly ignited a political response from Ndeti.
Mutua questions maintenance of his former flagship project
Mutua, who served as Machakos governor from 2013 to 2022, used his visit to argue that development should not end when a project is commissioned.
He described the People’s Park as a landmark that had attracted families, young people and visitors during its heyday, but said it was now “a shadow of what it once was”.
His criticism went beyond the appearance of the park. Mutua argued that public development requires sustained investment, proper management and maintenance long after a project has been launched.
“Development is not just about launching and commissioning projects,” he said, stressing the need to protect public investments and ensure that they continue serving residents.
The intervention was also politically significant. The park is one of the most visible projects associated with Mutua’s decade-long tenure as governor, making its present condition a potential measure of how successive administrations have handled inherited public assets.
The People’s Park was officially opened in February 2014 under Mutua. At its launch, the facility was promoted as a major tourism and recreation attraction, featuring an open-air amphitheatre, landscaped grounds and a man-made lake. Reports from the time said about 5,000 people visited during its opening weekend.
Ndeti fires back
Ndeti, however, rejected Mutua’s assessment and accused her predecessor of reducing Machakos’ development story to political theatrics.
In a statement on Tuesday, the governor mocked Mutua’s return to his former television persona, Cobra Squad, suggesting that his latest tour was politically motivated.
“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,” Ndeti said.
The governor argued that her administration should instead be judged on what it has delivered across the county during its first four years in office.
She said Machakos had received billions of shillings over more than a decade but that residents had not always enjoyed the full benefits of devolution.
Ndeti pointed to the establishment of the Machakos Youth Service, which she said had created opportunities for young people to gain practical skills and pursue self-employment.
She also cited investment in roads, healthcare, early childhood development, agriculture and water as evidence of her administration’s record.
What is the record on the People’s Park?
The competing claims are difficult to separate from the political history of the facility.
The park was one of the signature projects of Mutua’s first term. Contemporary reports described it as a major tourism attraction, with an amphitheatre capable of holding thousands of people, landscaped gardens and recreational facilities.
Its importance to Machakos was also reflected in county legislation. The 2015 Machakos County Finance Act provided for activities at the park including boat rides on Maruba Dam, photography, private ceremonies and weddings, while entrance to the park was listed as free.
Research published on public open spaces in Machakos Municipality found that the People’s Park was the municipality’s most widely recognised public open space. A field survey cited its size, variety of landscape features and management as among the reasons for its popularity, with most respondents rating its cleanliness as either good or very good at the time of the study.
The park has also remained part of Machakos’ public events under Ndeti. In January 2026, for example, it hosted the county’s Vuka Festival, which drew thousands of residents and was promoted as part of the administration’s youth empowerment programme.
That history makes the current disagreement more than a quarrel over lawns, buildings or vegetation. It is a contest over who should receive credit for Machakos’ development and who should take responsibility when public projects deteriorate.
Ndeti says maintenance is already part of her plan
There is also a direct contradiction between Mutua’s claim that the park has been neglected and the governor’s official account of its management.
In her February 2026 State of the County address, Ndeti’s administration said support infrastructure at the People’s Park was routinely maintained and renovated to keep the facility operational and suitable for visitors. The county acknowledged that wear and tear required continued attention.
That statement provides important context to the current controversy: while Mutua has highlighted what he says is visible deterioration, the county government maintains that maintenance and renovation have been ongoing.
The disagreement therefore raises a broader question whether routine maintenance has been adequate to preserve the park at the standard associated with its original launch.
A political fight with 2027 in the background
The timing of the confrontation is also notable.
Mutua and Ndeti have a long political history. Mutua defeated Ndeti in the 2017 Machakos gubernatorial contest after a highly contested electoral battle that eventually reached the Supreme Court. Mutua’s victory was ultimately upheld by the apex court.
Ndeti eventually won the governorship in 2022, succeeding Mutua after he completed two terms.
With Kenya’s next General Election approaching in 2027, public projects in Machakos are increasingly likely to become part of the political contest over the county’s future.
For Mutua, the People’s Park provides an opportunity to argue that projects initiated during his tenure require protection and maintenance. For Ndeti, the same dispute offers an opportunity to showcase what she says are newer investments that directly affect residents.
The political temperature is further heightened by wider disagreements inside Machakos County. The county has recently faced tensions between the executive and the County Assembly over finances and the 2026/27 budget, before the Assembly approved a KSh17.8 billion budget on August 18.
The bigger question for Machakos
At the heart of the dispute is a question that extends beyond Mutua and Ndeti: who is responsible for preserving public investments after political administrations change?
Mutua’s argument is that commissioning a project is only the beginning and that governments must maintain facilities so that taxpayers continue to benefit from them.
Ndeti’s response is that the performance of her administration should be judged on the broader transformation she says is taking place across Machakos from roads and healthcare to youth empowerment, agriculture and water.
Both positions ultimately place the People’s Park at the centre of a much larger debate about continuity in devolved government.
The park was built as a symbol of Machakos’ ambition during the early years of devolution. More than a decade later, its condition has become a political symbol of a different kind.
For Mutua, it is evidence of what he calls failure to maintain a public asset.
For Ndeti, it is one component of a much wider development programme that she says is delivering tangible results to residents.
