Natembeya Claims Political Plot After Aide’s Arrest as Feud With Ruto Deepens
Transozia County communications officer, Amos Boaz, alias Hammer Hammer, has reportedly been arrested at gunpoint in Kitale town, escalating tensions between the county boss George Natembeya and President William Ruto.
The governor in a post in his social media handle further alleged politucal persecution from the state.
In the statement, Natembeya claimed the arrest was part of a wider scheme to frustrate him politically, amid an increasingly bitter dispute over development projects, devolution and his opposition politics ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“The DCI have picked up Amos Boaz, alias Hammer Hammer, a Communications Officer in the Office of the Governor, at gunpoint in Kitale town,” Natembeya said.
He added: “Even if they arrest everyone, Waluhya in 2027 wameerevuka! Kura yote ni kwa Sifuna!”
The governor wrote referring to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, a prominent figure in the opposition Linda Mwananchi movement, which has increasingly challenged the President's political leadership.
“Haya ni mapito tu! We shall overcome!” Natembeya declared.
The reported arrest comes against the backdrop of a deepening confrontation between Natembeya and Ruto that has spilled into public administration and the running of county affairs.
Salute directive escalates tensions
The latest development follows a controversial directive by Trans Nzoia County Commissioner Allasow Hussein, who on October 20 ordered local administrators not to salute or extend official courtesies to Natembeya, accusing the governor of disrespecting the President.
Addressing officials during Mashujaa Day celebrations, Hussein directed deputy county commissioners, assistant county commissioners, chiefs and assistant chiefs to withhold the courtesies traditionally accorded to the governor.
“From today, nobody is allowed to salute the governor,” Hussein declared, according to media reports.
The directive marked a new low in the public confrontation between the national government and the county leadership, turning their political differences into a dispute over official protocol.
Natembeya had skipped the Mashujaa Day celebrations in Trans Nzoia, amid the escalating row with the President.
Market and hospital projects at the centre of feud
The rift has largely revolved around the Masinde Muliro Business Park in Kitale and plans to upgrade Kitale Level Five Hospital.
Ruto officially opened the market during his October visit to the county, presenting it as part of his administration's development agenda.
Natembeya, however, accused the national government of taking credit for a project he said was largely funded by the county government and the World Bank.
The governor has also questioned the allocation of market stalls, alleging that traders previously assigned spaces by his administration had been displaced in the subsequent arrangements.
The dispute intensified further after Ruto announced Sh1 billion for the proposed hospital upgrade, with the President criticising the state of healthcare services in the county.
Natembeya challenged the national government's involvement, arguing that healthcare is a devolved function and that the county should be involved in decisions affecting its facilities.
He also questioned the withdrawal of his security detail, linking the move to his political differences with the national administration.
The alleged political motivation behind the withdrawal has not been independently established.
Opposition politics and 2027 calculations
The confrontation has increasingly taken on a political dimension as the country edges towards the 2027 General Election.
Natembeya has emerged as a vocal critic of Ruto's administration and has associated with opposition figures, including Sifuna, amid growing efforts to organise an alternative political platform.
The President, meanwhile, has defended his government's development interventions in Trans Nzoia and criticised what he portrays as resistance to projects intended to benefit residents.
The latest developments have raised questions about the relationship between national and county governments, particularly where disputes over development priorities intersect with political rivalry.
However, the circumstances surrounding Boaz's reported arrest, the reasons for his apprehension and whether he has been formally charged remain unclear.
The DCI's response to Natembeya's allegations was not available at the time of publication.
Neither the arrest claim nor the governor's assertion that state agencies are being used to frustrate him should be treated as independently established without further confirmation.
