Maragua MP claims Wa Iria gave dud cheque at fundraiser
Murang'a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria gives a donation during a fundraiser at Thaara Primary School in Maragua on August 3, 2018. Now Maragua MP Mary Waithira (left) has accused the governor of giving a fake cheque at the fundraiser after a bank declined to honour it due to lack of funds in the county account. PHOTO | NDUNG’U GACHANE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The MP said she was shocked when the cheque was rejected when she presented it to Equity Bank.
- Mr Wa Iria gave a contribution of Sh1 million for the MP’s Maragua Constituency Endowment Education Fund.
- The governor said the MP should explain to members of public the legal structures about her kitty.
Maragua MP Mary Waithira has accused Murang’a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria of issuing a fake cheque during a fundraiser on August 3 at Thaara Primary School where Deputy President William Ruto was the chief guest.
The MP said she was shocked when the cheque was rejected when she presented it to Equity Bank and had even to give out more money to the bank for depositing a fake cheque.
She told the Nation that she could not get a clear explanation from the County Executive Member for Education Gerrison Nyagia upon seeking clarification as to why the county government issued cheque that bounced.
'FAKE CHEQUE'
“It’s shameful for a whole governor to stand in front of his electorate and issue a fake cheque there is no difference [between him and] the MPs who were bribed with Sh10,000 in the sugar report.
“It is criminal and I give the county government seven days to issue a [valid] cheque or else they will face the law,” the MP said.
During the fundraiser, Mr Wa Iria gave a contribution of Sh1 million for the MP’s Maragua Constituency Endowment Education Fund.
The MP had on Monday talked about the issue in a meeting with her constituents in a video that has since gone viral in Murang’a social media platforms.
Contacted, Governor Wa Iria rubbished the MP’s claims, saying she had been furnished with information that she should wait for the county to receive funds from the national government before cashing the cheque.
“The MP had been informed not to take the cheque to the bank since there we have not received the money from the national government but since she had malice, she went ahead and deposited the [cheque] only to start spreading the malice in her meetings.
IMPATIENT
“In fact, following her impatience, we have opened our eyes and we have realised that the fundraiser was a scheme to extort money from members of public and we shall not replace the cheque either in cash or [by another] cheque,” the governor said, adding that the county government “has escaped being swindled Sh1 million”.
Speaking to Nation by phone, the governor said the MP should explain to members of public the legal structures about her kitty, claiming that it does not conform to the Public Finance Management Act and that she had come up with a ploy of extorting money from unsuspecting Kenyans.
“The Act requires that for any public fund to be in existence, specific procedures must be followed for the kitty to be approved but her complaints have acted as an eye opener for us. Before we give her the money, she should show us the signatories and the legal structures (of the funs),” the governor said.
He said after the national government denied MP’s direct control of the National Government Constituency Development Funds (NG-CDF), some MPs have been exploring new ways of getting money from members of public in the guise of fundraisers to assist in educating the poor.
