Apologise or we'll impeach you, reps tell Nyamu Kagwima

Tharaka-Nithi County Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee chairperson, Ms Millicent Mugana, addresses journalists in Chuka town on June 30, 2018. PHOTO | ALEX NJERU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Deputy Governor Nyamu Kagwima on Friday accused MCAs of passing an 'imbalanced' Sh4.6 billion budget without even reading it.

  • Ward representatives led by Majority Leader Godfrey Murithi have asked Mr Kagwima to apologise or face their wrath.

A section of Tharaka-Nithi County ward representatives have threatened to impeach deputy governor, Mr Nyamu Kagwima, for accusing them of passing a ‘skewed’ budget.

Mr Kagwima on Friday accused the MCAs of passing an 'imbalanced' Sh4.6 billion budget without even reading it.

Addressing journalists in Chuka Town, the ward representatives led by Majority Leader Godfrey Murithi have asked Mr Kagwima to apologise or face their wrath.

"The deputy governor has repeatedly accused us falsely and he must apologise to us, Executive and the members of the public, or else, he will go home and" said Mr Murithi.

He denied Mr Kagwima's claims that they wasted essential time in foreign and local travels instead of scrutinizing the county budget.

Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairperson, Ms Millicent Mugana, defended Governor Muthomi Njuki over accusations of favouring his home constituency, Chuka Igambang’ombe, by allocating it huge sums of money.

She said by virtue of the constituency hosting the Chuka County Referral hospital, it deserved the allocations among them Sh50 million for construction of an outpatient unit.

Magumoni MCA Justin Kithinji faulted the deputy governor for “lying to the public”and being “tribal” for only defending interested of Tharaka Constitueny where he comes from.

“This is just cheap politics by Mr Kagwima and we will not condone it,” Kithinji said.

Minority Leader and Muthambi MCA Wilson Nyaga defended their local and foreign trips, accusing Mr Kagwima of politicising the issue.

“We have a partnership with Ahadi Kenya, National Assembly and the Senate and the trips are purely for learning to improve our skills for the benefit of the locals,” said Mr Nyaga.

On Friday, Mr Kagwima called for an immediate supplementary budget with Governor Njuki insisting approved budget was balanced.

A section of leaders from Tharaka and Maara among them Njuri Ncheke elders opposed the budget calling for a fair distribution of resources in the three constituencies.

Chuka/Igambang'ombe Constituency received Sh600 million, Maara Sh277 million and Tharaka Sh216 million for development.