They say there is always a way out from every situation including those that look so complicated and kind of unbearable. Kenyan MCAs have of late become a pain in the neck of county officials especially the county assembly speakers and governors.
Machakos county has been making headlines due to the county’s MCAs constant attempts to hold the County administration at ransom.
Governor Mutua has now hit back at the MCAs and with-held their October salaries.
Mr Mutua ordered his Finance minister not to release the funds to the county assembly until they approve the County Integrated Development Plan, a condition set by Controller of Budget for the release of the funds to the ward reps.
While inspecting boreholes in Mutituni and Machakos Central wards on Tuesday, Mr Mutua said the ward reps do not deserve to be paid because they have blocked the release of development funds.
“The members of the county assembly who are fighting me approved their own salaries but failed to approve money for development. I have said they should also not get their salaries if they will not approve money for development,” said Mutua.
The governor accused the ward reps of not being mindful of the people who elected them, adding that bursaries for needy students have been delayed because of the stalemate.
But the Machakos County Assembly Speaker Florence Mwangangi dismissed Mr Mutua’s claims, saying the county government has been receiving development funds from the Treasury.
Machakos county MCAs impeached the deputy governor, a move Mutua now claims they made to hide their own corrupt dealings.
Deputy governor Francis Maliti was last week impeached on grounds of gross misconduct and incompetence.
The MCAs led by Matungulu’s Cosmas Masesi said Maliti had failed to discharge his duties during his time at the helm of the finance docket.
Masesi said under Maliti’s watch the county had failed to raise its revenue target of Sh1.7 billion.
However, Mutua said there has been a push by the leadership of the county assembly to blackmail the executive.
The county boss said that in the past few weeks, reports of misuse of financial resources, fake payments, and corrupt activities in the assembly have been brought to his attention.
In the latest 2015/16 financial year audit report, Edward Ouko flagged numerous foreign trips made by MCAs. Further, he raised queries of leaders who paid themselves double per diems.
According to the report, a travel agency contracted to provide MCAs with the full package for one of their trips including airport transfers,local transport and full accommodation was overpaid by Sh24 million.
“Recommendation to recover the over payment from concerned MCAs and staff of Sh24 million is yet to be implemented,” Ouko said in the report.
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