Kibwana threatens to side-step uncooperative MCAs in development projects
What you need to know:
- Last month, the county government advertised for 60 Village Administrators and ever since, has been convening forums at the village levels to collect views on what development items the residents would like prioritised in the next budget.
- But a section of MCAs reading mischief in the new administrative structures have sensationally opposed the village committees arguing that the he executive was installing the administrators to ensure that MCAs are not re-elected in next year’s polls.
- While debating a motion proposing the setting aside of sand harvesting sites last week, a team of ward representatives led by deputy Speaker Bernard Musau vowed to frustrate the work of the village administrators.
Governor Kivutha Kibwana has threatened to cut ties with Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) who have been fighting his administration.
Instead, he said, his government would bank on a network of administrators and loyalists at the grassroots to directly reach out to the residents in perceived unfriendly zones.
“In wards where the MCAs have failed to escalate wanting development needs to the executive, I will overlook them and work directly with the residents,” said the tough-talking Prof Kibwana on Wednesday.
He spoke at Kiteei Primary School in Makueni Constituency after distributing 25,000 text books to 1,572 nursery schools in the area.
“It surprises me that a section of the MCAs have dwelled on deflating my administration instead of understanding and escalating the issues troubling their electorate,” Prof Kibwana told the audience who included the area MCA Francis Mutungi.
He added: “Soon I will be touring those neglected wards to inform the residents that their elected leaders have abandoned them and pledge to work with them directly.”
The governor’s comments came against a surging backlash on the installation of administrators at the grassroots.
Last month, the county government advertised for 60 Village Administrators and ever since, has been convening forums at the village levels to collect views on what development items the residents would like prioritised in the next budget.
But a section of MCAs reading mischief in the new administrative structures have sensationally opposed the village committees arguing that the he executive was installing the administrators to ensure that MCAs are not re-elected in next year’s polls.
While debating a motion proposing the setting aside of sand harvesting sites last week, a team of ward representatives led by deputy Speaker Bernard Musau vowed to frustrate the work of the village administrators.
Taking a jibe at public participation barazas organized by the executive at the wards, Mr Musau said: “What is happening on the ground is not service being given to the people but its politics to help the governor and his team to come back to power.”
Mr Musau took issue with the grassroots network and called upon the MCAs “to be extra vibrant in their areas to understand the funny things that are happening.”
Echoing Mr Musau, Ivingoni/Nzambani Ward Representative Cosmas Nzilili termed the grassroots committees as illegal.
“We have not created the grassroots committees as envisaged in the County Government Act yet we are able to create the amorphous eleven-member village committees that are not recognized in the Act,” he said.
Both Mr Musau and Nzilili alleged that Prof Kibwana used the village committees to campaign for his re-election at the expense of their re-election.
