- The MCAs spoke at Murang’a police station where they had accompanied six of their counterparts to record statements.
- It relates to April 16 commotion at the assembly after a court order was tabled stopping the removal of two MCAs from the assembly’s service board.
Image: Alice Waithera
Murang’a MCAs have vowed to continue pushing for transparency in the county assembly despite alleged threats and intimidation.
The MCAs spoke at Murang’a police station where they had accompanied six of their counterparts to record statements over an incident where property worth Sh3 million was destroyed Tuesday last week.
The April 16 commotion occured after a court order was tabled stopping the removal of two MCAs from the assembly’s service board.
The MCAs alleged lack of financial transparency at the assembly and vowed not to relent from speaking out about it.
In a statement read by Muguru MCA Moses Muchiri, the ward reps alleged intimidation on the side of the police for exercising their oversight role which they said is against the Constitution.
They said the chaos that erupted leading to destruction of furniture was just the tip of other ills affecting the assembly.
Muchiri cited alleged exaggeration of air transport for some MCAs and members of staff, resulting in loss of huge sums of money.
He claimed a recent trip to Dubai had each member spend Sh300,000 on tickets.
"For those travelling outside the country, every person is required to pay Sh300,000 to someone in the County Assembly upon which the equivalent amount of money is liquidated from County Assembly Budget,” he said.
This was happening, they claimed, as ward offices lay in neglect and without furniture and their salaries and allowances were delayed for months.
On April 2, the MCAs voted to kick out their representatives on county service board whom they said were not representing their welfare satisfactorily.
They proposed the removal of Ng’araria MCA Simon Wamwea and Kimorori MCA Elizabeth Wambui from the board and wanted them replaced by Gaichanjiru MCA John Kamau and his Kigumo counterpart Caroline Njoroge.
But before the motion for their removal was tabled on April 16, the besieged duo presented a court order stopping their ouster from the service board, leading to the chaos.
"The deployment of police in the County Assembly with court orders to prevent the moving of the appointment motion is what led to the commotion,” Muchiri said.
He called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), office of the Auditor General and the Senate to investigate the county assembly’s staff hiring processes, tenders and all financial expenditures for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 financial years.
Kangunduini MCA Samson Mukora said intimidation will not stop them from fighting for transparency in the assembly’s operations.
Last week, county police commander confirmed that charges will be preferred against the MCAs involved in the melee saying statements had already been recorded from eye witnesses.
He claimed one of the MCAs assaulted a female police officer during the chaos and she would be charged with assault.
“We have collected sufficient evidence to charge the MCAs and P3 forms have been filled. Once the file is ready, the MCAs will be charged in court,” he said.