Waiguru, Kibicho clash over Sh15 billion Kemri project

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has told Interior PS Karanja Kibicho to either resign and join politics or concentrate on matters of internal security.

This comes after Kibicho accused Waiguru of trying to sabotage the Sh15 billion proposed Kenya Medical Research Institute project in Mwea constituency. Kemri plans to set up a level five hospital, a university, a medical supplies factory and a medical research centre in Mwea, all valued at Sh15 billion.

Waiguru on Saturday accused Kibicho of engaging in politics instead of concentrating on his duties of providing security.

“If PS Karanja Kibicho wants to engage in village politics and insults, he should resign and join others in early campaigning,” Waiguru said in a statement.

The governor said that the county has already signed an MoU to facilitate the implementation of the project and forwarded it to Kemri for execution.

Waiguru said she was committed to ensuring that the interests of Kirinyaga residents were met. Among her requests are 30 per cent manual and non-technical jobs for Kirinyaga residents in the project.

Kibicho on Friday during a visit to Mwea accused Waiguru of sabotaging the project by delaying transferring a 100-acre parcel of land in Mwea to Kemri.

The county has allocated 100 acres for the project in Wamumu, Mwea, but has yet to release the title.

Kibicho said Kirinyaga residents would lose out if the project was taken to another county.

During President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to Kirinyaga two weeks ago, Waiguru had said they were not opposed to the Kemri project, but they required an agreement specifying how Kirinyaga people would benefit from the project.

The President then directed that the two parties sign an MoU in a week’s time to enable the project to commence.

The project has also been put to a halt by a court order following an injunction filed by a resident barring Kemri from undertaking any development on the land.