MPs accuse Governor Kingi of witch-hunt

Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro has dismissed as a political witch-hunt claims by Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi that some projects in his constituency built under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) were substandard.

He told off Governor Kingi, who on Wednesday directed his officers to demolish substandard CDF projects in the county.

Speaking by phone from Bonn in Germany, where he is on an official trip, the MP said Mr Kingi was worried about his (Mung’aro's) popularity having declared that he would contest the governorship in the 2017 polls.

“He has seen that my association with the Jubilee government is bearing fruit as the people have begun to enjoy the benefits. He is looking for excuses to remain relevant,” Mr Mung’aro said Thursday.

The MP is among Coast leaders who support President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee administration.

“All CDF projects in my constituency were done above board. They were duly inspected by Public Works officials and government auditor. If the governor has any issue with standards (of the projects), he should seek answers from the relevant authorities,” he said.

The MP warned the governor that CDF projects, according to the Devolution Act, fall under the national government and that county governments have no legal mandate over them.

There has been a war of words between Mr Mung’aro and Governor Kingi since the MP declared he would vie for the governorship in the next elections.

Mr Kingi on Wednesday directed his officers to demolish substandard CDF projects after accusing MPs in the area of inflating construction costs.

Kilifi South MP Mustafa Idd and his Ganze counterpart Peter Shehe also accused the governor of a witch-hunt

Mr Idd challenged the governor to address graft allegations facing the county.

Kaloleni MP Gunga Mwinga told the governor to stop undermining MPs as they are also elected leaders.

(Editing by Beatrice Obwocha and Henry Gekonde)