By SHABAN MAKOKHA
July 16, 2026| For decades, a simple piece of paper has demanded a punishing pilgrimage.
The mother seeking her newborn’s birth certificate. The young man yearning for an identity card to unlock his future. The grieving widow, still in shock, forced to navigate bureaucracy for a death certificate. The elderly villager, walking stick in hand, chasing elusive government assistance.
Each has known the same bitter calculus—long queues under a merciless sun, expensive transport that eats into already thin wallets, and endless hours swallowed by journeys to distant administrative offices.
For many families in Mumias West, the cost of reaching government has sometimes been as painful as the service itself.
It is this daily crucifixion of ordinary citizens that Mumias West Member of Parliament Johnson Naicca says he is determined to end.
The veteran legislator has intensified his push for new administrative units—sub-counties, divisions, locations and sub-locations—not merely to redraw maps on paper, but to plant the flag of government where people actually live. To transform bureaucracy from a distant mountain into a neighbourhood neighbour.
A Bus, A Promise, A Movement
The occasion was jubilant. Students of St Michael Ingusi Senior School erupted in cheers as Naicca handed over the keys to a new school bus—a gleaming symbol of what happens when leadership meets action.
But the MP’s message went far beyond transportation.
“This is not about politics,” he declared, his voice carrying the weight of conviction. “It is about the grandmother who should not spend an entire day travelling for government services. It is about our youth who deserve jobs. It is about making government visible where people actually live.”
The crowd listened as he laid out the transformation already taking root.
Musanda has been elevated into a fully-fledged division with its own Assistant County Commissioner—a major administrative milestone that brings authority closer to the people. Bungasi, Matawa, Baraki and Makhonge have become new locations. Musango, Milembe and Kimalewa now stand as sub-locations.
On paper, these may appear as mere administrative adjustments. But Naicca insists they represent something far more profound.
“Every new office means shorter journeys, faster service and another chance for a young graduate to secure employment,” he explained.
The Human Face of Bureaucracy
The MP painted a vivid picture of what decentralisation truly means.
No longer will a mother with a crying baby spend an entire day travelling to register a birth. No longer will a person with disability struggle through treacherous journeys for a simple document. No longer will the elderly drain their meagre savings on transport to access services that should be within walking distance.
“These units require trained personnel to run them,” Naicca elaborated. “We need Deputy County Commissioners, Assistant County Commissioners, Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs. Every office created opens employment opportunities. When we have more administrative units, government recruitment expands. More of our young people stand a better chance of joining the police service, the military and other government departments.”
But employment is only part of the equation.
Stronger administrative structures, he argues, will improve security. Chiefs and assistant chiefs stationed closer to communities can respond faster to conflicts, insecurity and emergencies before situations spiral out of control. Local disputes can be resolved quickly. Crimes can be reported faster. Government programmes can reach villages more efficiently. Development projects can be monitored more effectively.
To Naicca, administrative presence is not simply about offices—it is about restoring the fragile thread of confidence between citizens and the State.
A Call to Integrity
The legislator urged residents to support the appointment of qualified, competent leaders of integrity to serve as chiefs and assistant chiefs. The success of the new administrative units, he stressed, will depend entirely on the quality of leadership entrusted with them.
He also turned his gaze toward fellow politicians who have criticised the initiative, some accusing him of attempting to divide Mumias West for political gain.
Naicca dismissed the claims with characteristic directness: “What I am doing is not splitting Mumias West into two. I am expanding opportunities. I am improving service delivery. Let us stop politicizing development.”
His appeal extended beyond political adversaries to the residents themselves. He called for unity, peaceful coexistence and collective responsibility in driving development.
“Development succeeds where people work together,” he said. “Government alone cannot achieve everything. Citizens must also participate.”
The Razor That Won’t Dull
Then came the moment that shifted the atmosphere from policy to personality.
Approaching his 75th birthday, Naicca has increasingly found himself the target of political attacks from rivals who argue that it is time for younger leadership. Rather than retreat from the criticism, the seasoned politician confronted it directly—with humour, confidence and unmistakable defiance.
“I am not as old as they think,” he told the cheering crowd, a mischievous glint in his eye. “And why should one man be worried about another man’s age? It is my wife who should be worried.”
The audience erupted in laughter, the tension broken.
But behind the joke lay a serious political declaration. Naicca announced that he remains firmly in the 2027 parliamentary race. Far from slowing down, he believes experience has become his greatest political asset. He warned his competitors to prepare for what he described as a bruising contest.
Then came the phrase that has increasingly become synonymous with his political resilience—a slogan that symbolizes consistency itself: “Wembe ni ule ule.”
The razor blade remains the same.
It is his way of telling supporters that while years may pass, his determination to serve has not dulled. That consistency, not age, is what matters. That his development record, not campaign promises, should be the ultimate judge.
A Legacy Etched in Development
Across Mumias West, the MP points to projects he believes speak louder than any campaign slogan:
Modern markets intended to stimulate local commerce. School buses aimed at improving access to education. Multi-storey tuition blocks transforming learning environments. Expanded electricity connectivity lighting up villages. Water projects bringing clean water closer to households. High-mast security lighting improving safety in trading centres.
“I have installed twenty-eight high-mast security lights across the constituency,” he said proudly. “And I have even assigned a technician to ensure they remain functional because development is not just about launching projects—it is about maintaining them.”
To his supporters, these projects represent visible evidence of leadership. To his critics, they may represent something else. But to the grandmother who no longer has to travel for hours, to the young graduate who finds employment, to the family that receives services closer to home—they represent a fundamental shift in how government relates to the governed.
The Road Ahead
As the political temperature slowly rises ahead of the 2027 General Election, one thing is becoming increasingly clear—Mr Naicca is refusing to let age define him.
Instead, he wants history to remember him for expanding government services, creating employment opportunities and leaving behind administrative structures that could serve Mumias West for generations.
The razor remains sharp. The blade still cuts.
And in Mumias West, a new chapter is being written—one office, one job, one grandmother spared a journey at a time.