Wamatangi under fire as MCAs threaten to impeach him

Months after Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua met Kiambu leaders to rescue Governor Kimani Wamatangi from a planned impeachment, a fresh headache for the county chief has emerged.

Kiambu MCAs now accuse the county boss of dictatorship, failed leadership and inability to manage the county development plan.

In a press briefing at the county assembly on Monday, the MCAs claimed that Wamatangi operates like a lone ranger who is not working with other leaders and has failed to include them in key decision-making.

Also, at the centre of the wrangles between the county assembly and executive leadership are allegations that Wamatangi has failed to fully constitute his government for effective service delivery, one year after he assumed office.

But in a quick response, Wamatangi upheld that he won’t be cowed by the demands of corrupt people claiming that the fights at the assembly are a plot by his political nemesis who are opposed to his leadership style and political stature.

While addressing Gatundu residents during a chicks’ distribution event, Wamatangi argued that his political enemies are using ward representatives as pawns in a larger scheme to disrepute him.

“I am not fearful; I am not terrified and I’m focused. If I was to fall down, I would have done so a long time ago, I would have been felled by the devil a long time ago and so, nothing shakes me,” Wamatangi said.

Led by Githiga ward MCA Ruth Waithera, the ward reps faulted Wamatangi for failing to submit the names of the chief officers to the assembly for approval, a move that has seen him work with those from the former governor James Nyoro’s administration.

Among the key positions that have remained vacant for months is the county secretary's office after Martin Njogu resigned months ago.

Among others who have resigned during Wamatangi’s tenure is the County Executive for Education Bibianne Waiganjo who in April this year cited harsh, oppressive and suppressive working conditions as the reason for exiting the executive despite having worked for only two months.

The county’s chief of staff Gibson Mburu later resigned followed by County Executive for Roads Samuel Mugo and his chief officer Daniel Njenga.

All these have not been replaced since their resignation, a move that has irked MCAs who accuse Wamatangi of unilaterally running the county affairs.

“We are here to express our disappointment with Governor Kimani Wamatangi’s government. Our governor has a problem with decision-making, our county chief officers who are the accounting officers have not been in place since we were elected," Waithera said.

"While an advert was placed last year and shortlisting done, the shortlisted have never been appointed. The acting chief officers have been working as casual labourers as they only get a one-month contract."

Despite the gazettement of Juja, Kabete, Lari, Kahawa Sukari, Githunguri, and Gatundu municipalities early in the year, the furious MCAs decried that the municipalities have no substantive boards to run them thereby putting the more than Sh1.8 billion that the county receives from the World Bank under Kenya Urban Support Programme in jeopardy.

The MCAs have also faulted the county boss for failing to formalise the engagement of his administration with casual workers whom they said are irregularly fired after intense intimidation.

The ward representatives alleged that since he assumed office, the governor cannot illustrate the projects he has undertaken save the distribution of weeks-old chicks and fertiliser to farmers.

“The governor must henceforth undertake projects that can be accounted for and ones that are sustainable to our people and not giving them chicks that are dying in two days,” another MCA said.

According to Karuri MCA Peter Njoroge Wainaina, the governor has been sabotaging elected MCAs by working with members of his Wamatangi Foundation as his foot soldiers and who have replaced them in their administrative mandates.

Njoroge said that Wamatangi has gone ahead to ‘plant’ their competitors in their respective wards whom the governor is using in overseeing some of the projects like grading of roads.

Njoroge at the same time alleged that out of the Sh4.88 billion set aside for development in the county in the last financial year, only Sh400 million (8.2 percent) had been consumed as of April this year, a situation that might have seen the local government return billions of unspent monies to the national treasury.

“This shows a dire need for reevaluation as developments are below par across all departments. Failing to spend on development means that Kiambu residents failed to get the services they ought to have received. We have taken back to the treasury close to Sh2.5 billion,” Njoroge said.

He at the same time alleged massive embezzlement of public funds by the county officials through the signing of imprests by junior officers.

“We have agreed that we will not allow another year to go to waste. Kiambu residents must get value for their money. We have contacted EACC and Auditor General for audit,” Njoroge said.

The MCAs who have already dethroned the assembly majority leader Godfrey Mucheke who is believed to be Wamatangi’s point man.