• Governor denies claims she pocketed travel allowances saying the money was refunded when the trip did not materialise.
• Waiguru has fallen out with county Woman Rep and Interior PS Kibicho who are both reported to be eying Waiguru's position in 2022.
Image: COURTESY
Karinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has insinuated that powerful hands are behind the MCAs' move to impeach her.
"As for those pulling the strings from outside the assembly because of the 2022 politics, time will find you out," Waiguru said in a statement on Tuesday.
She is the first female county boss to face impeachment in the country. The governor has fallen out with Woman Representative Wangui Ngirici and Interior PS Karanja Kibicho who are both reported to be eyeing the seat in 2022.
In February, Waiguru clashed with Kibicho over the Sh15 billion proposed Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) project in Mwea constituency.
Kemri plans to set up a level-5 hospital, a university, a medical supplies factory and a medical research centre in Mwea — all valued at Sh15 billion.
The PS accused Waiguru of sabotaging the project by delaying the transfer of 100 acres in Wamumu, Mwea, to Kemri. But the governor told Kibicho to either resign and join politics or concentrate on matters of internal security.
“If PS Kibicho wants to engage in village politics and insults, he should resign and join others in early campaigning,” Waiguru said in a statement.
On Wednesday, the Kirinyaga assembly adopted the impeachment and gave Waiguru seven days to defend herself.
Speaker Antony Waweru ruled that during the period, residents can air their views through memoranda regarding the impeachment motion which has been supported by 30 out of 33 MCAs.
The ward reps have accused the governor of gross violation of the Constitution by not delivering the annual State of the County address to the assembly.
While moving the motion, Mutira MCA Kinyua Wangui said Waiguru is bound by the law to make the address but that since she ascended to power, she has deliberately neglected to do so on the county's crucial matters.
The MCA further accused Waiguru of undermining the authority of the assembly by not submitting county plans and policies to the assembly for approval and also failing to table an annual report on the implementation status of the county policies and plans.
He said Waiguru's actions greatly clog development.
Wangui blamed the county chief of violating the Public Procurement and Disposal Act and Public Finance and Management Act by establishing an irregular Tender Evaluation committee. The committee comprises her partisan staff Pauline Kamau and Wayne Gichira who take direct instructions from her to act as a conduit to award tenders her preferred bidders, the MCA said.
He said this action compromises the integrity of the tendering process and harbours nepotism, favouritism and improper ulterior motive and corrupting against the law.
The MCA said that on December 20, 2018, the tendering committee awarded a Sh19.1 million tender to a company for purported upgrading of Kagumo market yet it had not been cancelled.
Another tender for construction of Kagio matatu parking lot was given despite the contractor having not been certified and quoting Sh30miliion while another company certified company which quoted Sh29.6 million was denied, he said.
The MCAs are also accusing Waiguru of abuse of office and gross misconduct by conferring a benefit to herself saying she was irregularly paid travel allowances through imprests amounting to Sh10.6 million despite her not travelling.
The travels allegedly took place between June 18, 2018, and February 25 this year.
Waiguru is facing another charge of defying a recommendation by the Public Service Board for a newly formed Kirinyaga Investment Development Authority members to be paid after SRC's approval. "But they were paid outside the IFMIS and county government payroll."
On Tuesday, Waiguru dismissed the grounds for her impeachment terming them flimsy.
On the State of the County address, Waiguru said it is not a constitutional requirement noting that she had done so twice since her election in 2017.
The governor denied claims she pocketed travel allowances saying the money was refunded when the trip did not materialise.
Waiguru said there is no connection that the winners of the tenders and her relatives.
“Every Kenyan knows what these kind of frivolous impeachment motion by MCAs are about. I will not concede to illegal requests for tenders and money. At whatever price,” she said.
Edited by R.Wamochie