Ms Majala Mlagui Delina was among the youngest elected Deputy Governors in Kenya after she and her boss, former governor Granton Samboja vied for the top Taita Taveta County seat in August, 8, 2017 General Election and won. She was only 26-years-old at the time.
And like many youth with great ambitions, she embarked on a career in which she intended to focus on leadership and women empowerment.
However, in a revelation dated January 22, 2025, and shared by activist Boniface Mwangi on his verified social media handles, Ms Mlagui said that her role as Deputy Governor was ceremonial as she faced a toxic work environment.
“Sometimes being a Deputy anything in any political position in East Africa politics is agreeing to be erased. It’s more of a ceremonial position than a functional one. Strong deputies are fought and sidelined the moment they’re sworn in. My friend Majala Mlagui once served as the Deputy Governor of Taita Taveta County, a role that challenged her to reconcile her developmental ambitions with political reality.
She described the experience as one where her professional capacity was consistently undermined by political undercurrents and egotistical battles with both her boss and his circle of cronies. Despite her willingness to contribute meaningfully, her efforts were often met with quiet sabotage, resistance, sidelining, and a lack of meaningful engagement,” said Mr Mwangi.
He went on to say that Ms Mlagui told him, “At one stage during her tenure, her office was locked, and operational budgets meant for her docket were interfered with and diverted to other departments with no notification. Her staff were sidelined from regular county operations, and she faced blatant acts of disrespect. On one occasion, during a notable politician’s visit to the county, male bodyguards physically pushed her, in what bordered on assault, as they attempted to deny her entry to the meeting, a stark affront to her authority as Deputy Governor and to her dignity as a woman in leadership. The role, in her words, felt largely ceremonial rather than an active partner in the leadership of the county.
In prior media reports, Ms Mlagui once claimed that her life was in danger, and had reported the matter to Mwatate Police Station. She claimed the threats stemmed from an election petition that had been filed to remove her boss and herself from office, and another election held for the top county seat.
“We knew we had won in the right way but now I’m being accused of filing that case in court when I was no where near that matter and I was only in my office intending on working for the people of Taita Taveta,” said Ms Mlagui in part according to an August 2022 report by KBC.
She vehemently denied being behind the election petition to have former governor Samboja removed from office.
