Nyeri Governor Gachagua in fresh battle with MCAs over Sh180m fund

Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua has opened a new war front with MCAs over usage of development funds and stalled projects.

At the heart of the battle is a fight to control over Sh180 million for projects in wards.

MCAs want the cash to be channelled through the Ward Development Fund, which they want to control.

But the governor terms the proposal as illegal and says the ward reps want to use the cash for their 2017 campaigns.

Mr Gachagua, who jetted back into the county a week ago after months of treatment, has also vowed to make sure Majority Leader Duncan Gituanja is ousted from the seat.

If he is kicked out, Mr Gituanja will be the third Majority Leader to be ousted by pro-Gachagua MCAs in less than one year.

The bad blood came to the fore last week on Thursday when some MCAs walked out of the assembly as the governor was making his state of the county address.

According to Mr Gituanja, the governor declined to allow the release of ward development funds amounting to Sh180 million and even after pleading with him, he remained defiant.

“I have pleaded and begged him to allow the usage of these funds that we at the county assembly passed but he declined,” said Mr Gituanja, who was elected as majority leader in 2015.

ANGERED BY GOVERNOR

Mr Gituanja took over the seat from Wamagana MCA Jesse Kamuri, also a Gachagua ally turned foe.

“I do not fear being ousted but all I know is that when I walked out, I joined the majority who will back me. We wanted to show our anger to the governor for failing to implement our projects,” said the majority leader.

Ironically, when the governor jetted back, the majority leader praised his development record.

But in a quick rejoinder, Mr Gachagua said he will not assent to these programmes since no public participation was carried out.

“The law clearly states that there should be public participation in any of the projects the county government intends to implement but none of the MCA did this in their respective wards,” he said.

Mr Gachagua also challenged his rivals to a live TV debate.

“All those running for the governor’s seat should face the people on live TV and tell them what they have done for them,” he told the Nation.