MCAs set record straight on controversial gym subscription and panties for schoolgirls




Nominated MCA Edna Muisyo
Members of the County Assembly of Embu have strongly defended the proposed budget estimates, claiming the matter was overly politicised and exaggerated to provoke public outcry.
Led by Majority Leader Michael Njeru, the MCAs sought to state that the County Assembly’s proposal to set aside a Ksh 11 Million sports and fitness kitty was meant to cater for inter-county games and sports tournaments, but not solely to fund gym subscriptions. He dismissed the insinuation that MCAs were misusing public funds as mere political rhetoric from detractors who had no agenda for the county.
The Kithimu MCA added that on completion, the ultramodern County Assembly office complex would have an equipped gymnasium for MCAs and the legislature’s staff members to exercise in, and pointed out that all MCAs were involved in various sporting activities aimed at maintaining their fitness. He said MCAs in football, rugby and tug-of-war teams needed to exercise regularly to win their games.
The Majority Leader who spoke during a fundraiser in his ward, which was attended by former Embu Senator Lenny Kivuti however said it was impractical to use public funds to pay gym membership for MCAs when they could continue with their fitness regimes in open public playgrounds without incurring any costs.
In the same breath, Mbeti North MCA Peter Murithi dismissed Social Media criticism of the County Assembly and said devolved leadership would not be influenced by online noisemakers. He also trashed allegations that all MCAs would get free gym membership, adding that some like himself, had no weight to lose.
However, Ruguru Ngandori MCA Sammy Muturi who is also the Chairman of the County Assembly Sectoral Committee on Health urged his counterparts to endeavour to keep fit by either paying for their own gym subscriptions or making time to exercise in fitness clubs to avoid suffering from lifestyle diseases associated with sedentary lives. He observed that legislators had a tendency of ignoring their physical fitness, therefore throwing their health into jeopardy.
Speaking at a different function, Minority Leader Masters Muriuki defended the proposal to provide free underwear to needy school going children, saying the idea was noble and was geared towards keeping thousands of girls from poverty stricken households in school. He said the problem was serious in far-flung parts of the county and could not be wished away.
Muriuki who is also the MCA for Kiambere ward nonetheless said that the county budget was still in the process of being drafted and had not been finalised, therefore called on Embu residents to remain calm and wait for the Appropriations Bill to judge the final projects that would be proposed for funding.
Nominated MCA Edna Muisyo echoed the sentiments made by the Minority Leader, emphasising the need to provide essential garments to needy children. She added that the provision of sanitary pads and underpants was an activity that was going on in several other counties, but was overly politicised in Embu by malicious people who were out to malign the County Government.


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