Governor Mutua might have just crossed the line when he denied Members of County Assembly their salaries for the month of October. However, the Senate Public Accounts and Investment Committee (CPAIC) has come to the rescue of the Machakos County MCAs after it orderd Governor Alfred Mutua to release the salaries and pay the MCAs their dews.
The Committee issued the directive, accusing Governor Mutua of frustrating the Assembly for impeaching his Deputy Governor Eng. Francis Maliti as the County Executive for Finance. Governor Mutua had ordered his Finance minister not to disburse the MCAs salaries, accusing them of failing to approve the County Integrated Development Plan.
“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,” Governor Mutua said this week on Tuesday.
Machakos County Assembly Speaker Florence Mwangangi dismissed the Governor’s claims that the Assembly was withholding development funds saying that the Controller of Budget has been releasing money for development even without the CIDP. She further accused the Executive of lying that it had no money for development.
Prior to the impeachment of Mr. Maliti who was accused of failing to discharge his duties at the helm of the finance docket, Governor Mutua termed the impeachment motion as a political witch hunt to hide their corrupt dealings, adding that he would continue serving as the Finance CEC.
Governor Mutua had written to the Auditor General to send a team to the County Assembly for a special financial audit focusing on specific areas of concern and individuals adding that after receiving the audit report, he will study it and take proper action including forwarding it to the EACC and DCI for appropriate action.
Do you think Governor Alfred Mutua was justified in withholding salaries from the MCAs?