No plans to impeach Dr Alfred Mutua, say MCAs

BY DANIEL NZIA

Machakos County: A section of Machakos County Assembly members have dismissed assertions that there were plans to impeach Governor Dr Alfred Mutua.

At least 22 out of 59 MCAs perceived to be opposed to the Governor rubbished the reports saying there are no such plans to sack the Governor.

“We have no plans whatsoever to impeach Governor Mutua. As at now, we have no intentions to take such an action”, they told journalists in Machakos on Wednesday.

The MCAs blamed the animosity between the Governor and his Deputy Bernard Kiala on the Majority Leader in the assembly Joshua Mwonga who they claimed is fighting the Deputy Governor.

They said they had confidence in Dr Mutua whom they praised for having bright ideas and a clear development agenda for the county but charged some corrupt officials in his government were his undoing.

“Our Governor has good ideas but his government officials are corrupt. This menace must be rooted out forthwith,” they said.

In a statement read by the chairman of the Public Accounts and Investments Committee Dominic Maitha, at Zeros Resort, the leaders however strongly opposed plans by the county government to borrow money from an undisclosed financial institution terming the move unconstitutional.

The Bill requesting the assembly to authorise the government to borrow the money to fund recurrent expenditure among other expenses was table before the house on Tuesday.

“We are going to strongly oppose the move because it is a total contravention of the constitution regarding borrowing of money by county governments”, declared the MCAs.

They asked County Assembly Speaker Bernard Mung’ata to ensure strict adherence to the law governing borrowing and advise the executive accordingly.

The MCAs noted that it was too early for the Machakos County government to start borrowing money to finance its operations yet there was enough money in the 2013/14 fiscal year.

They claimed they had information the county government is owed Sh1.2b by contractors and other clients.

The leaders also blamed the government’s financial woes on the huge wage bill facing it saying it has employed more
people than it can afford.

They charged that their efforts to debate the Auditor General’s report on the County’s financial usage for the year 2012/13 as required by have been fruitless.

“Copies of the report have not been availed to us yet the issues raised in it must be discussed by the assembly,” said  Maitha.