Governor Kabogo given 14 days to move county offices back to Kiambu Town

Kiambu Town MCA James Njenga (in bow tie) is flanked by other MCAs as he addresses reporters outside the Kiambu County Assembly on October 28, 2014. The county lawmakers have challenged Governor William Kabogo to move the county headquarters to Kiambu Town from Thika. PHOTO | ERIC WAINAINA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  ERIC WAINAINA

What you need to know:

  • In 2013, Mr Kabogo refused to occupy offices in Kiambu Town, citing poor conditions.
  • A section of county representatives have given the governor 14 days to return the offices to Kiambu.
  • Ngewa Ward MCA Karungo Thangwa accused Mr Kabogo of ignoring their demands.
  • However, another section of MCAs distanced themselves from their colleagues and defended the governor.

Pressure has continued to mount on Governor William Kabogo to bring the county headquarters offices back to Kiambu Town.

In 2013, Mr Kabogo refused to occupy offices in Kiambu Town, citing poor conditions.

He would later shift the county base to Thika Town, an idea that did not go down well with most leaders.

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And Tuesday, Kiambu Town MP Jude Njomo threatened legal action to have the governor’s offices back in Kiambu Town.

Mr Njomo said by dishonouring the Senate summons, Mr Kabogo created the impression that there were things the county government was hiding.

A section of county representatives have given the governor 14 days to return the offices to Kiambu.

UNSPECIFIED CONSEQUENCES

On Tuesday, MCAs, led by Kiambu Town Ward representative James Njenga, warned of unspecified consequences if the governor does not relocate to Kiambu within two weeks.

The legislators are also pushing Mr Kabago to honour summons by the Senate to answer questions about the use of county funds.

“We have pleaded with the governor enough times. The only option we are left with now is to sort this matter in the courts,” said Mr Njomo, who spoke in Kiambu on Tuesday.

Ngewa Ward MCA Karungo Thangwa accused Mr Kabogo of ignoring their demands.

“We will now use all means possible to make sure this issue is sorted out once and for all,” Mr Thangwa said.

POOR CONDITION

Mr Kabogo declined to occupy the offices in Kiambu, citing their poor condition, and opted for Thika pending the rehabilitation of the Kiambu offices, which he had said would take six months.

However, another section of MCAs led by Majority Leader Chege Wanjiru, distanced themselves from their colleagues and defended the governor.

The MCAs, the majority of whom are nominated, said the county offices in Kiambu are still under construction.

“The offices are 95 per cent done and within two or three weeks, they will be occupied," Mr Wanjiru said.

They also said that the governor had not refused to honour the Senate summons.

They claimed that it was the Senate that had refused to meet Mr Kabogo.

"Soon we will give a clip to prove that Kabogo had gone to the Senate but the committee said they were not ready for him,” Mr Chege said.

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