- Muslim leaders in Machakos have given Kalama MCA Boniface Maeke seven days to apologise over remarks linking Governor Wavinya Ndeti, onions and Ramadan.
- The clerics said the comments were disrespectful to Muslims and portrayed the community as dependent on handouts.
- The controversy comes amid a wider dispute between the governor and the County Assembly over the 2026/27 county budget and cuts affecting the Machakos Youth Service.
The contentious Machakos County budget debate has taken a religious turn after Muslim clerics gave Kalama Member of County Assembly Boniface Maeke seven days to apologise for remarks asking Governor Wavinya Ndeti to wait for Ramadan to sell onions to Muslims after the Assembly scrapped funding for the Machakos Youth Service.
Maeke, speaking at a public rally on Thursday, alleged that Governor Wavinya was pushing for restoration of the Machakos Youth Service budget vote so that she could supply onions and cabbages to the programme.
The remarks drew criticism from Muslim leaders in Machakos, who said they were demeaning and unnecessarily dragged the community into the political dispute.
Led by SUPKEM Machakos Chairman Sheikh Juma Ali, who is also chairman of the Mosque Association, the leaders included Machakos Muslims Association Secretary Saidi Abdullah, Senior Imam Anas Ali, Ustadh Ali Yaba and Muslim women leader Zuhura Rajab.
“We have given the MCA seven days to apologise. Seven days, because we will not accept this nonsense that we are the ones to be given cabbages and onions. Does he think we are poor?” Ali said.
Muslim leaders condemn remarks
Sheikh Ali said MCAs had already created difficulties for the governor and were now belittling her to the extent of suggesting that her role was to supply onions to Muslims.
He warned that if Maeke failed to apologise within seven days, the Muslim leaders would consider further action, although they did not specify what form that action would take.
Ustadh Mutisya said some political leaders had crossed the line in their campaigns and should tone down their rhetoric and use respectful language.
Zuhura Rajab said political leaders should resolve their differences without involving Muslims, noting that the Muslim community in Kenya had historically lived peacefully alongside other communities.
The Muslim leaders spoke outside a mosque in Machakos Town after Friday midday prayers.
Maeke was recorded telling Governor Wavinya that she would have to wait until Ramadan to sell her onions to Muslims.
“Wavinya, you will have to wait for the Muslims to fast so that you can sell your onions during Ramadan,” Maeke said at the rally.
Remarks emerge amid wider budget standoff
The dispute comes against the backdrop of a prolonged budget standoff between Governor Wavinya and the Machakos County Assembly.
The governor declined to assent to the Sh17.8 billion 2026/27 county budget after disputing changes amounting to Sh853.96 million made by the Assembly. Among the affected allocations was the entire Sh175.86 million budget for the Machakos Youth Service.
The disagreement has also affected other programmes, including bursaries, youth empowerment and county services, as the Executive and Assembly remain divided over the legality and impact of the reallocations.
Governor Wavinya has argued that the Assembly’s changes would undermine key county programmes, while the dispute has continued to generate political exchanges among elected leaders.
Maeke’s remarks have now introduced a religious dimension to the debate, with Muslim leaders insisting that their community should not be used as a reference point in political attacks.
The governor is also known to engage in farming, including cultivation of crops such as onions and cabbages, which formed the basis of Maeke’s remarks.
By Stephen Muthini
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