I'll not succumb to selfish interests of County Assembly, Kibwana says

Makueni, Kenya:  Embattled Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana, has dismissed grounds for his proposed impeachment as “flimsy and baseless”.

Speaking a day after he was impeached by Members of the County Assembly, the governor blamed this on his firmness on how the county politicians spent public funds.

Addressing journalists at a news conference in Delta House, Nairobi, yesterday, Prof Kibwana pledged to “fully cooperate with the Senate.”Kitui Governor Julius Malombe was present.

The governor was optimistic that he will get a fair hearing at the second chamber of the country’s bicameral Parliament.

“The charges are laughable. The MCAs claim I put them on social media, I used taxpayers’ money to renovate my residences in Emali, and that l have flouted the procurement laws,” he said.

He explained that the genesis of his disagreement with the County Assembly began with the budget process that led to the five months stalemate in the last financial year was.

“I do not mind sacrificing so that we make devolution work. There is no short cut in the realisation of economic democracy,” said Kibwana. “Last year, the County Assembly demanded Sh1 billion and after negotiations with the Controller of Budgets Agnes Odhiambo, it was reduced to Sh577million.”

The governor spoke as the Wiper Party said it is still trying to reconcile him and the MCAs. The party chairman David Musila, said the chaos in Makueni and the violence in Machakos County, both strongholds of the party, will have to be addressed through dialogue.

“We have been mandated by the National Executive Council (NEC) to investigate the matter and come up with proposals for disciplinary measures if officials are found to have gone against the Political Parties Act,” he said.

Mr Musila added: “We suspect there is more than we can see in these two counties and we want to dig deep and unearth what the problem is.”

The Wiper chairman, who was accompanied by Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior, said disciplinary action would be taken against persons found to have contravened the Political Parties Act.

“They can be reprimanded, suspended, or expelled from the party,” he said.

Musila also said that the party does not support impeachment of the governor or even dissolution of the county government.

“All these are constitutional processes but even as they proceed, we are still pursuing the process of reconciliation of the leaders,” he said during a news conference at the party headquarters in Nairobi.

Mutula Junior added: “People are now thinking that Makueni County is completely destroyed. There is no total destruction of the county. There is still a chance to put things in place,’ he said.

However, Kibwana maintained that he will not be compelled to resign as a result of the county government being ungovernable, and said he is victim of selfish county lawmakers who have put their interests first at the expense of the electorate.

“I am ready to undergo investigations by Criminal Investigation Department and anti-corruption on the issues raised. The MCAs should also be ready for a lifestyle audit to determine the source of their wealth,” the governor said.

He said MCAs wanted Sh913 million and additional Sh1.275 billion ward fund totalling to Sh2.188 billion against the Senate ceiling of Sh356 million.

Kibwana said the MCAs must either agree to work with the County Executive or else, just wait for the collection of signatures to be complete to have the county government dissolved and fresh polls held.

“I will defend my impeachment at the Senate and exhaust all processes, legal and constitutional... I am deeply saddened by the stalemate in Makueni County, my ultimate resolve is to promote development in county and act in the best interest of the people,” the governor said.

Kibwana, however, admitted that the governance in Makueni County is irretrievable and broken down. “The circumstances persisting now is such that the Executive and the Assembly are working at cross purposes, and this state of affairs has made the county ungovernable,” he stated.

Mr Malombe expressed concern over the situation in counties, where governors and CEC finances are hold at ransom by the MCAs.

“They have decided to defy the budget ceilings where the bulk of money is required to go to development,” he noted.

“Our efforts with Governor Alfred Mutua and other stakeholders to ensure peace is restored in Makueni, have not succeeded. The County Assembly rushed to impeach the government to pre-empt outcome of the Senate Committee on Devolution,” he added.