Governors face cash revolt as Gachagua defies Nyeri MCAs

Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua addresses traders after inspecting markets in Nyeri town on June 9, 2016. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Ward reps want Sh180m passed in the 2015-16 financial year allocated to each ward to fund projects they had identified.
  • Majority Leader Duncuan Gituanja accused the governor of delaying implementation of projects.
  • In Embu, county budget reading was on Tuesday put off indefinitely, following a standoff pitting MCAs and the Executive.

Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua has started implementing projects worth Sh180 million despite opposition from MCAs as ward reps in other regions changed budgets presented by governors or shot them down.

In a full page advert, Mr Gachagua outlines the projects the cash will be financing.

Ward reps wanted the Sh180 million passed in the 2015-16 financial year allocated to each ward to fund the projects they had identified.

But Governor Gachagua insists he will only implement projects identified after public participation.

“MCAs are invited to oversight the implementation of these projects as is expected of them and in fulfilment of their constitutional obligation,” reads the advert.

The governor’s stand was also supported by the Controller of Budget.

The county will now spend Sh108 million in grading and gravelling roads and Sh23 million in the expansion and construction of health centres and dispensaries

Majority Leader Duncuan Gituanja accused the governor of delaying implementation of projects.

In the 2016/17 budget, the ward reps have drafted a new programme for the implementation of the county’s roads flagship project and rejected the programme tabled by the Infrastructure Executive Robert Thuo.

Mathari MCA Baragu Mutahi vowed to alter it or block it.

In Embu, county budget reading was on Tuesday put off indefinitely, following a standoff pitting MCAs and the Executive following disagreements on key projects.

The Sh5 billion county budget which was to be read on Tuesday by Finance Executive John Njagi had to be shelved as MCAs fell out with members of the County Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee.

On Tuesday, Temporary Speaker Ngari Makenge adjourned the House. MCAs in Isiolo also slashed the expenditure allocated to the office of the governor.

They cut by Sh30 million the emergency fund saying the county chief has not accounted for previous allocations.