Months after Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua met with Kiambu legislators to save Governor Kimani Wamatangi from impeachment, new trouble has emerged that threatens to rekindle political tensions in the county.
Kiambu MCAs have accused the county chief of dictatorship, poor leadership, and inability to oversee county development.
During a press conference held at the county assembly, the MCAs accused Wamatangi of being a lone ranger, being unable to work with other leaders, failing to include other important people in decision-making, and slow infrastructural development at the Ward level.
Wamatangi’s failure to fully constitute his government for effective service delivery one year after taking office is also at the heart of the county assembly’s heightened wranglings with executive leadership.
The MCAs, led by Githiga Ward Member of Assembly Ruth Waithera, chastised Wamatangi for failing to submit the names of the chief officers for approval to the assembly, a move that has seen him collaborate with those from the administration of former governor James Nyoro.
One of the key positions that has been vacant for months is that of county secretary, which has been vacant since the resignation of Martin Njogu, the former CS.
Although he did not give a reason for his resignation, the MCAs claimed that a strained working relationship between him and the governor was no longer sustainable.
Biabiane Waiganjo, a county executive committee member for education who resigned in April this year citing harsh, oppressive, and suppressive working conditions as the reason for leaving the county executive after only two months, is among those who have resigned during Wamatangi’s tenure.
County executive committee member in charge of roads Samuel Mugo and his chief officer for roads Daniel Njenga resigned later, as did Gibson Mburu, the county’s chief of staff.
All of these people have not been replaced since they resigned, irritating MCAs who accuse Wamatangi of running county affairs unilaterally.
Despite the gazettement of Juja, Kabete, Lari, Kahawa Sukari, Githunguri, and Gatundu municipalities earlier this year, outraged MCAs claimed that the metropolises lacked substantive boards to run them, jeopardising the county’s Ksh. 1.8 billion from the World Bank under the Kenya Urban Support Programme.
The MCAs have also chastised the county boss for failing to formalise his administration’s engagement with casual workers, whom they claim are fired irregularly after intense intimidation.
The Ward representatives claimed that since taking office, the governor has been unable to demonstrate any projects other than the distribution of weeks-old chicks and fertiliser to farmers.
The governor has been sabotaging elected MCAs, according to Karuri MCA Peter Njoroge Wainaina, by using members of his Wamatangi Foundation as foot soldiers and replacing them in administrative mandates.
Njoroge also claimed that as of April this year, only Ksh.400 million (8.2 percent) of the 4.88 billion shillings set aside for development in the county in the previous fiscal year had been consumed, a situation that could have resulted in the local government returning billions of unspent funds to the national treasury.
He also accused county officials of massive embezzlement of public funds through the signing of imprests by junior officers.
Godfrey Mucheke, the assembly majority leader who is believed to be Wamatangi’s point man, has already been dethroned, and the MCAs have stated that unless the governor cleans up his act, they will not hesitate to remove him from office.
However, in a swift response, Wamatangi stated that he would not be intimidated by the demands of corrupt people, claiming that the fights at the assembly are a plot by his political adversaries who are opposed to his leadership style and political stature.
During a chick distribution event in Gatundu, Wamatangi argued that his political opponents are using Ward representatives as pawns in a larger scheme to discredit him.
