Kenyans, especially from Kiambu County, are now worried on whether Waititu’s new Jijenge venture is a scam ion Waiting after the collapse of the Kaa Sober initiative this year.
Between July and December 2018, the Kiambu County government spent over Sh356 million to finance operations of the controversial rehabilitation programme by Governor Ferdinand Waititu dubbed “Kaa sober”.
The programme was taking up Sh2 million per day without the approval of the county assembly.
Last week, the governor launched Jijenge Fund of sh 200 million for youths to loans for development with zero interest rate.
Waititu speaking during the launch on Tuesday said the fund which has an initial kitty of Sh200 million will be increased by half every financial year to cater for more needy residents.
“Jijenge Fund is a revolving fund with no interest and it shall provide financing for LPOs, groups, and individuals. I am going to increase it every financial year to ensure that the highest number of Kiambu residents benefit,” he said.
Waititu through Youths and Sports County Executive (CeC) Karungo Thang’wa will distribute the amount into 62 wards within the County.
“We are asking all of you to apply. Application forms have been made available at the Members of County Assembly’s offices and Ward Administrators’ offices in each ward,” Thangwa said.
Last month Members of the County assembly engaged into a fist fight after a section of leaders allied to Waititu were accused of trying to pass a dubious budget.
The supplementary budget proposes, among other things, the reduction of the development money by over half a billion shillings, an increase in salaries by over Sh1 billion and the approval of Sh356 million which financed operations of the controversial rehabilitation programme dubbed Kaa sober.
A section of the members who were against it on grounds that it requires thorough scrutiny before being discussed tried to object to its tabling but all in vain as Speaker Stephen Ndichu insisted that it must be debated and Mr. Ngugi has given a second chance to read the notice of motion.
An MCA who has sought anonymity for fear of being reprimanded has said that this might be a scam in Waiting after the flop of the Kaa sober programme.
He wonders of the accountability of the money since there is no system to indicate who borrowed and who repaid the money.
“I was to be categorical here, the Kiambu Jijenge fund is scum in waiting, the accountability process will be hard as they will issue the money manually and the records will be handwritten,” he said.
He calls on Waititu to digitize the process to ensure its functionality and reduce the theft of the public money.