A row has erupted in Kiambu county pitting Governor Ferdinand Waititu and some MCAs over bursaries.
The governor declined to release bursary cheques to five MCAs when he disbursed Sh75 million to 17,577 beneficiaries across the county last week.
MCAs Simon Karema (Theta), Cyrus Omondi (Kahawa Sukari), Daniel Ngugi (Kiuu), Andrew Kimani (Thika Town) and Julius Macharia Taki (Witeithie) have reprimanded the county boss for undermining them as elected leaders.
The ward reps told the Star that the governor has done a disservice to their residents by denying them bursary funds due to his political differences with them.
According to Omondi on Tuesday, Waititu accuses them of supporting his political opponents such as former governor William Kabogo and Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria.
“It’s the political temperatures that are rising in Kiambu that made the governor deny us and the people we represent bursary cheques.
“He has taken matters out of proportion and forgotten that we cannot always dance to his tune. He should put our differences aside and serve the people who propelled him to office,” Omondi said.
The MCA said Waititu’s decision has demoralised ward reps as they have nothing to offer to their electorate.
“Residents are also angered by the petty action of the governor. They are questioning why they are being dragged into his differences with MCAs,” he said.
This is not the first time Waititu has clashed with the Kahawa Wendani MCA. In January last year, the governor led the demolition of kiosks near a public toilet in the ward. It is also alleged that the county boss asked Kiambu people not to vote for non-locals in his county.
The MCA had renovated the public toilet by installing water and electricity. Residents protested Waititu’s decision to demolish the kiosk, accusing him of frustrating Omondi.
Theta ward MCA Simon Karema said the governor has vowed to frustrate MCAs who differ with him. “He should not use our differences as the guise to deny our people development,” he said.
“I won’t support corrupt deals in the county in order to make Waititu happy. I stand by my principles and won’t be coerced to support anyone,”he added.
The MCAs further claimed that the governor is sponsoring losers in the last election to frustrate them.
“He has actually taken those who contested but lost and employed them to take our positions in our wards. This is undermining us and the decision of thousands of residents who elected us. This will however not stop us from working and fighting for the interests of our people,” Omondi said.
Waititu has not commented on his differences with the MCAs.
On Tuesday, while inspecting the construction of Ruiru market, Waititu said the bursary cheques would be issued later in the day.
Chaos broke out in Theta ward when word went around that the governor would issue cheques to non-residents using a fake list of beneficiaries.
But the governor didn’t attend the function. He sent his Education executive who was blocked from accessing the venue by irate residents who forced him to hand over the cheques.