MCAs warned against fighting governor Wambora’s projects at Assembly

BY JOEY KIMEU

Speaker Josiah Thiriku welcoming 

Governor Wambora at a past event

Embu Ward Representatives have been sternly warned against fighting Governor Martin Wambora’s administration on the floor of the County Assembly by shooting down his requests.

Deputy Speaker Steve Simba singled out Nominated MCA Margaret Lorna Kariuki as having tried to quash Governor Wambora’s proposals to fund various items in the second Supplementary Budget for the 2018/2019 Financial Year. He said the Supplementary Budget contained proposals from the County Executive and therefore asserted that opposing the budget was a direct attack on the Governor.

The Runyenjes Central MCA warned Kariuki and any other MCA opposing Wambora that they risked “rotting in (political) hell” due to the resultant loss of popularity amongst the electorate. He cautioned that firebrand Ward Reps may be doing disservice to their political careers without their knowledge by posing as opponents of every proposal fronted by the County Executive.

Simba stated that MCAs who were fighting the Governor were headed nowhere politically and were doomed to fail in their endeavours to clinch any elective seat. He lambasted Kariuki and branded her as a pretender who feigned support for Wambora in public but bitterly opposed his development project proposals when they were tabled at the legislature.

While contributing to debate on the Supplementary Budget, Kariuki had lashed out at the Liaison Committee for not providing money for the County Youth Fund. The Liaison Committee which is chaired by Simba was appointed as a caretaker committee on budget matters after operations of the Budget and Appropriations Committee was temporarily halted due to a legal tussle involving Kariuki.

She termed the Supplementary Budget as insensitive to the plight of the Youth who needed to access affordable loans to start business ventures. Kariuki criticised Simba for ignoring the needs of the youthful population in the county yet he is in the age bracket of the youth. She said lack of money to fund the entrepreneurial ideas of young people was a death knell for the youth.

But Speaker Josiah Thiriku sought to correct Kariuki by pointing out that the County Assembly and any of its committees did not create or draft the budget. He said the legislature only considers and approves proposals forwarded by the County Executive. Thiriku added that attacking the Liaison Committee on account of budgetary allocations was ill advised since budgeting was the sole prerogative of the Executive arm of County Government.

On his part, Ruguru Ngandori MCA Muturi Mwombo accused Kariuki of disrespecting the County Assembly by openly attacking its projects in public gatherings. He revealed that Kariuki had severally badmouthed the proposed office complex at the assembly in churches and burials instead of moving a Motion on the floor of the House to oppose the construction of the building.

A displeased Kariuki was quick to fire back at Mwombo saying that he had no authority to gag his fellow MCAs. She also sought the counsel of the Speaker on whether the MCA was in order to sensor what his colleagues spoke outside the House.

Speaker Thiriku said what MCAs spoke outside the Assembly was not a concern for the August House. Mwombo was however ruled out of order for attempting to introduce debate on a topic that was not properly tabled in the Assembly through the Order Paper.