Digital strategist and blogger Dennis Itumbi on Wednesday, September 11, put Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru on the spot over what he termed as fake news.
This was after Waiguru appeared to imply that the Kirinyaga county assembly had rejected the Ekuru Aukot-led Thirdway Alliance's Punguza Mizigo Bill on Tuesday, September 10. Waiguru said the contents of the bill were “detrimental to our people.”
The blogger who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke sought to 'educate' his county boss on the difference between voting out a bill and rejecting it.
"My home county of Kirinyaga did not vote out the Punguza Mizigo Bill, that was just an outright lie advanced by tweets by my Governor Anne Waiguru," he highlighted.
Itumbi argued that the Bill was unable to proceed because it lacked someone to second it.
"For good record, Kirinyaga County Assembly, standing orders, available for download online, indicate that lack of a seconder leads to withdrawal of motion, not rejection as some have tweeted and told us in Press Conferences,"
On Tuesday, September 10, various news publications alleged that Kirinyaga county had rejected Thirdway Alliance's Punguza Mizigo Bill.
The bill was tabled before the assembly by Majority Leader Kamau Murango who moved a procedural motion to exempt the bill from long and tiresome debate procedures.
According to assembly standing orders, if a bill lacks a seconder it stands suspended for six months when it is supposed to be re-tabled in the Assembly.
After the session at the house, Waiguru addressed the press at the county headquarters, praising the supposed rejection of the Punguza Mizigo Bill.
“I want to thank the County Assembly of Kirinyaga for throwing out the Punguza Mizigo initiative motion. This initiative has a very nice title but it is extremely detrimental to our people,” said Waiguru in a press address.
She further disclosed that she was looking forward to President Uhuru Kenyatta's Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
“We have had discussions with the assembly and many people enlightening them on the importance of ensuring that it does not pass and waiting for the BBI which we think will be taking cognizance of the things we are very concerned about.”
Last week, Punguza Mizigo registered its first win after the Uasin Gishu county assembly unanimously approved it.
The county assembly speaker David Kiplagat confirmed that the county has passed the bill and would forward their resolutions to the speakers of both the National Assembly and Senate
So far, Siaya County has rejected the bill whereas Nyeri county was unable to vote on the Bill after some of the ward representatives expressed concerns with some clauses as it was being presented.
They resolved to debate and vote before the deadline that has been set for October.
