• Supplementary budget is said to have been gazetted immediately it was controversially passed
Image: STANLEY NJENGA
Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu is expected to appear before the Senate over alleged misappropriation of funds.
He will also be questioned on the supplementary budget that was recently bulldozed in the assembly.
Senator Kimani Wamatangi told the Star on Tuesday that he called on the MCAs to present the budget to the Senate, following which some ward reps presented a petition contesting the passage of the supplementary budget.
"Every shilling collected from the taxpayer must be accounted for in projects that benefit the people. I will not defend a thief or the people who collaborate to steal from public coffers and as a result, impoverish generations," Wamatangi said.
The supplementary budget is said to have been gazetted immediately it was controversially passed in a session in which blows were exchanged.
"Leaders must take great responsibility of everything Wanjiku entrusts with them," the senator said.
It was shameful, he said, for the MCAs to fight over a supplementary budget, meaning they were on war with themselves.
“It is shameful for honourable members to fight over a supplementary budget. I immediately called for the MCAs to bring the budget to the Senate for scrutiny and instead, a petition was brought to the Senate and has been received. Governor Waititu will come here and explain the budget," Wamatangi said.
He said some MCAs support the governor, thus neglecting their oversight work at the expense of Kiambu people.
“It is not the governor who is at war with the MCAs. It is the MCAs who are fighting against themselves over who is more loyal to the governor. The assembly must put its house in order,” Wamatangi said.
MCAs opposed to the passing of the supplementary budget moved to the High Court in Nairobi where the court gave orders that the budget should not be implemented until the case is heard and determined.
Ikinu MCA Stanley Wanjiku said there was a misappropriation of county funds. He said some money cannot be accounted for, and there is no explanation from the county executive.
“A supplementary budget was passed last week with a lot of unanswered questions over usage of some monies by the executive. We would like our senator to do his oversight job as something is wrong,” Wanjiku said.
Wanjiku said he belonged to the assembly Finance committee that scrutinised the supplementary budget and found a lot of money used without explanation by the executive which raised eyebrows. The committee was, however, disbanded and an ad hoc committee on the budget was formed, splitting the Finance committee into two so that a supplementary budget can be passed.
“We asked questions on how some money was used but we never got answers. As a committee, we refused the supplementary budget to be tabled,” Wanjiku said.
Kiambu resident James Gacheru said the senator should be vocal and active on the ground and address the issues raised in the county government, especially oversight in the usage of public funds.
“Our senator should now come out and address this issue that we are hearing that our money is being misappropriated and give Kiambu residents a full report as it is not by chance that MCAs are physically fighting over this. Where there is smoke there is fire,” Gacheru said.
Image: Stanley Njenga