Waiguru Frustrated as MCAs Rebel Over Money

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru makes an address during the Narok Building Bridges Initiatives (BBI) consultative meeting on Saturday, February 22, 2020.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru makes an address during the Narok Building Bridges Initiatives (BBI) consultative meeting on Saturday, February 22, 2020.
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The makings of a cold war have characterised Governor Anne Waiguru's relations with the members of the County Assembly of Kirinyaga. 

The MCAs stand accused of conspiring to frustrate Waiguru's efforts at effecting changes in the county. 

A report authored by the Sunday Nation on Sunday, March 29, illustrated one such incident pertaining to appointments to the county public service board.

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru leads inspection of a Modern Hospital Complex under construction at the Kerugoya Referal Hospital on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru leads inspection of a Modern Hospital Complex under construction at the Kerugoya Referal Hospital on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.
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The term-limit for the exiting team had matured and Waiguru nominated four people to take up the existing posts.

However, all her nominees were summarily rejected on the grounds that they did not represent the country's diversity. 

Explaining the rejection, Gudson Muchina, MCA for Tebere Ward provided that they had made the decision based on recommendations from the relevant committees.

“The governor has proved that she is not a team player. She is a lone ranger and the best she does is to threaten people by dropping names of powerful members of the national government,” stated Muchina.

The MCAs on Friday, March 20, unanimously passed a motion that abolished Waiguru's Directorate of Liason and Communications Office.

Justifying the decision, they claimed the office was a tool for propaganda and neither served the interest of the county government nor its resident.

MCAs came clean on Sunday, March 29, and conceded that about 20 in their ranks were opposed to Waiguru's leadership.

The source of discontent apparently stemmed from Waiguru's failure to give them money from the Ward Development Fund as the previous administration used to.

ODM Party leader Raila Odinga (Left) and Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru after a meeting in Nairobi on Monday, February 24, 2020.
ODM Party leader Raila Odinga (Left) and Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru after a meeting in Nairobi on Monday, February 24, 2020.
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However, Kirinyaga Senator Charles Kibiru claimed that the situation was not as bad as it seemed and simply needed arbitration to be ironed out.

“The MCAs are the first line in oversight; they cannot be questioned for delivering on their constitutional mandate. We cannot, however, say that there is no problem. These issues need to be arbitrated and deliberated with no conditions by all leaders. People can always sit down and solve issues that face them,” stated Kibiru.

According to the Constitution, the county assembly is vested with the power to exercise oversight over the county executive organs.

It is also tasked with the mandate to make laws in line with the functions and powers of the county government.