- MCAs agreed to approve the names of County executives whom they had rejected during vetting and in return, Wamatangi was to release bursary funds.
- Minority leader and Ngenda Ward MCA Joe Kigara on Wednesday told the Star that everything isn’t working well in Kiambu County.
Image: AMOS NJAU
Kiambu County Assembly minority leadership is now accusing Governor Kimani Wamatangi of being a lone ranger and a dictator.
The accusations by the Assembly leadership come months after MCAs demonstrated outside the Governor's office, accusing him of disrespecting them and failing to release bursary funds.
Wamatangi would later hold a crisis meeting to avert the crisis.
MCAs agreed to approve the names of County executives whom they had rejected during vetting and in return, Wamatangi was to release bursary funds.
Minority leader and Ngenda Ward MCA Joe Kigara on Wednesday told the Star that everything isn’t working well in Kiambu County.
He accused Wamatangi of intensifying the division between the executive and legislature noting the governor hasn't been consulting them in service delivery.
"Don’t be misled, the relationship between Wamatangi and MCA isn’t good, he is a lone ranger and a dictator who loves to bulldoze things done his own way," he said.
“Wamatangi is working on his own, he doesn’t consult us and if he does, he doesn’t speak what is in his heart and we feel Kiambu is heading in the wrong direction which we won’t allow.”
He further claimed that the governor hasn’t released bursary funds despite him publicly endorsing it to the public.
“Wamatangi should stop using PR and engage in service delivery. He has been telling people that he has released bursary funds, and yet nothing has been disbursed and this is putting us against our voters,” Kigara said.
Murera Ward MCA, Moses Ngatha has also echoed Minority leader sentiments noting that a lot has been going on in their wards without their involvement.
Ngatha said that the most affected area in service delivery is medical despite Wamatangi's numerous social media campaigns.
“Most of the campaigns we see them on social media but not on the grounds, things aren’t working and he (Wamatangi)shouldn’t assume everything is okay," Ngatha claimed.
He cited, Mugutha dispensary Maternity in Murera Ward, which he claimed hasn’t been working rending more than 40,000 residents without essential service.
He alleged that the maternity was closed down after it cracked and nothing has been done and an attempt to reach Wamatangi hasn’t yielded any fruits.
He denied there is a plan to impeach Wamatangi but noted that nothing will prevent them if he fails to deliver.
Githiga ward MCA Ruth Waithira, on Tuesday, expressed confidence that Wamatangi will be impeached if he continues disrespecting and failing to deliver on campaign promises.
Miss Waithira claimed the MCAs don't have a ward development kitty to aid their projects.
"We sat down and it's six months now, and he has never done anything. We have tried meeting and everything but nothing is happening," she said.
Waithira said she will be the first to table an impeachment motion against the governor if the situation remains the same for long.
"If you don't work for our people, we impeach you. And I will be the mover of that motion because I cannot afford to let my people down," she said.
Thika MP Alice Ng’ang’a on February 17, blamed Wamatangi for woes affecting Thika Level 5 Hospital.
Alice Ng'ang'a decried that services at the hospital had deteriorated in a period of one month.
She gave Wamatangi a 5-day ultimatum to address the mess and threatened protests in the streets should he fail to act.
“The people of Thika are suffering. Imagine coming to a hospital to get treated and then being told there are no drugs at the facility. The patient is told to go and buy medicine from pharmacies outside the hospital,” complained Alice.
Kiamwangi MCA Kung’u smart has also said that the governor needs to listen to every leader and solve the problem being highlighted.
He said that service delivery needs to be the number one priority for elected leaders urging leaders to work in unity.
“What Wanjiku needs is service delivery and once we fail to deliver, we will be held accountable,” Kung’u said.
Attempts to contact Governor Wamatangi to respond to the accusations failed as he failed to pick up our calls.
We pledge to give his said of the story once he responds to the accusations.
Wamatangi recently decried the increased sales of county government drugs in private clinics.
He said the move is led by a clique of cartels working with health practitioners.
On Tuesday, Wamatangi said the County has embarked on measures meant to enhance healthcare and tame corruption amid growing concerns and criticism by residents.
This will include all Level 5, Level 4 and Level 3 hospitals — among them Thika, Kiambu, Gatundu, Kihara, Ruiru, Lari, Igegania, Githunguri, Tigoni, Wangige, Karatu, Karuri, Lusigetti, Kigumo, Githurai, Langata, Gachororo, Nyathuna, Ngoliba and Kiandutu.
Political analyst Albert Kasembeli has said that the accusations by the Assembly leadership and the demonstrations by MCAs indicate a breakdown in the relationship between the Governor and the assembly.
He said that lack of trust between the two arms of government has led to a stalemate, with the people of Kiambu County bearing the brunt of the poor service delivery.