Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti has swatted away allegations that she was detained in the United Kingdom for attempting to smuggle large sums of money into the country.
In a statement on Monday, September 9, 2024, Wavinya rubbished the reports as a smear campaign orchestrated by her political opponents.
“My attention has been drawn to an online smear campaign designed and sponsored by my political detractors. This campaign is aimed at dampening the impact of the transformative work we are doing in Machakos,” she said.
Wavinya scoffed at the idea that she would attempt to smuggle millions of Kenyan shillings to the UK, calling it an insult to the intelligence of the people of Machakos and Kenya. She also emphasized the absurdity of the claim by pointing to the stringent customs and financial controls in the UK.
“It is demeaning and an insult to the intelligence of the people of Machakos and Kenya to imagine that I would smuggle hundreds of millions of shillings on my person to the United Kingdom and that I have been detained. Those fabricating falsity are ignorant of the robust nature of UK Customs/Border Control and Financial Institutions,” the county boss added.
The governor reassured her supporters that both she and her family were safe, adding that the rumours were intended to rain on her administration’s parade.
“I can confirm that my family and I are safe and sound and remain in good standing both home and abroad. We shall not be distracted in our quest to better the livelihoods of the people of Machakos,” she said.
While she was at it, the county boss took the opportunity to flaunt her administration’s achievements, mentioning that nearly 1,000 development projects had been completed since August 2022. And if that wasn’t impressive enough, she also noted the fact that Machakos had hit a record Ksh1.78 billion in Own Source Revenue for the 2023/2024 financial year, a personal best for the county since the inception of devolution.
STATEMENT BY H.E. WAVINYA NDETI E.G.H. pic.twitter.com/0Ew6AYZiFX
— Wavinya Ndeti Oduwole, EGH (@Wavinya_Ndeti) September 9, 2024
She warned those spreading the false information, stating that legal action would be taken against them.
“We shall identify, pursue, and bring before the law all those peddling baseless rumors and fake news. This amounts to defamation and misuse of electronic media to spread falsehoods.”
Wavinya warned that the rumours didn’t just bruise her public image, but also put her family’s safety at risk.
“Such malicious misinformation has created perceptions about me and my family members that endanger our lives. Let the authors of this narrative be warned that should anything happen to any member of my family or myself, you shall be held personally responsible,” she said.
In a mic drop moment, the governor dared those making the accusations to provide concrete receipts when faced with legal consequences.
“I encourage those spewing these fabrications to arm themselves with hard evidence when the law comes knocking,” she concluded.
