Hours after the Machakos County Government denied having conducted any business with comedian Sammy Kioko, the entertainer and his business partner have come forward to present their side of the story.
In a video shared on Facebook, Kioko expressed shock at the County’s statement, which claimed that the allegations were a “calculated political move” to tarnish Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s name.
“I’m just from our rural home, and on the way, I saw the County’s statement saying this is a political move to defame the Governor. I’m worried — why would I do that? I’m not a politician; I’m just a young man trying to hustle and grow my business,” Kioko said.
Holding up documents as evidence, Kioko explained that his only intention was to seek an audience with the Governor to explain why County officials were allegedly ignoring them.
“All I wanted was to meet the Governor and explain why her people are not listening to us. We’ve been to those offices countless times. I even met the Deputy Governor, who listened, made some calls, and connected us with the person who issued the tender. We had a conversation. It’s so sad this is being turned into politics,” he added.
Kioko’s business partner, Maureen Mutua, confirmed that she has been working with him and that they supplied uniforms to the County last year. She said she began experiencing pregnancy-related complications around that time and asked Kioko to handle follow-ups.
“My kids are not okay. Where I stay, I’ve already received a notice, and my business is closed,” Maureen said tearfully.
Kioko also recounted the challenges they faced fulfilling the order.
“We were given two weeks to supply, and we worked day and night. The uniforms I see County officers wearing today are the same ones we supplied. Maureen had just undergone a cesarean section and still went to the Governor’s office to plead. I even told her to stay home as I handled the matter. Now, because I’m seeking help, it’s being called a political scheme. Governor, your people are misleading you. I used every shilling I had and even borrowed,” Kioko said.
On Friday, the Machakos County Government, in a strongly worded statement, denied having engaged in any business dealings with Kioko or his company, terming the claims as a “malicious political attempt” to tarnish Governor Ndeti’s reputation.
