Machakos MCAs demand answers on county expenditure

Rival groups on Monday clashed outside Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua’s office as members of the county assembly (MCAs) marched to present a petition to him.

The MCAs, led by Kinanie Ward Representative Mark Muendo, who is also the assembly majority leader, and Deputy Speaker Paul Museku (Mumbuni North), demanded to know how Governor Mutua had utilised money in the 2017/2018 budget including a supplementary budget where Sh80 million had been allocated for bursaries for students in secondary schools.

Speaking outside the governor's office, Mr Museku said the MCAs wanted to know how Sh2.75 million set aside for development in 2017/2018 financial year had been spent.

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE

Another Sh150 million was also allocated for the building of the governor's office but this had been done, Mr Museku said.

The MCAs gave the governor two weeks to respond to the issues in their petition after which they said they will consider taking further action.

Governor Mutua, through statement said the demonstrations were part of a bigger scheme to deny Machakos people development.

"We have noted with concern the persistent efforts by a section of Wiper MCAs working for their known internal and external masters to undermine the democratically elected government of Dr Alfred Mutua," said governor Mutua's Spokesman Mutinda Mwanzia.

He said the MCAs were misleading the public.

Dr Mutua said the MCAs had been “sitting on” the county’s integrated development plan (CIDP) for two months and this had made the National Treasury not to release funds for development.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

But the MCAs pointed out that public participation on the said CIDP had been done in January but the executive presented the document in August when Treasury made it mandatory for the CIDP to be approved for the funds to be released.

The MCAs said it is now not possible to approve the CIDP as it requires to be reviewed by county executive committee members first.

The assembly does not recognise the current lot of executive members whom Governor Mutua appointed before the assembly completed vetting them.

The MCAs also demanded that Governor Mutua de-gazettes the executives for the assembly to finalise the process.

BURSARIES

On bursaries, the governor said close to Sh1.4 billion which was not spent during the last financial year has been pending before the assembly and that it is only after they pass it that bursaries for high school students can be given out.

But the MCAs said there was no need for another supplementary budget since the one they approved in May 2018 had not been utilised.

"We allocated Sh80 million for bursaries. It is now one year down the line and the governor is saying he is awaiting another supplementary budget in order to give the bursaries to our children,” Mr Museku said.

The MCAs called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate how the monies approved by the assembly had been spent.