Governor Cecily Mbarire to work from campus over poor state of county offices

Days after they were sworn in to office, Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire and her deputy Kinyua Mugo will operate from temporary offices at the University of Embu for the next 45 days to allow renovation of the governor's office.

Renovations at the office located in Embu town were initiated by the previous regime few months to the elections, with allegations that former governor Martin Wambora spent most of his time in Nairobi and at the Council of Governors' office.

"He only came to the county whenever there was a public function, stepped into the office briefly and spent his time at his hotel that doubled up as his residence," a source at the Embu county government claims.

Minority leader in the second assembly of Embu, Lenny Mwaniki, said the houses hosting government officials were also in bad shape.

"Some county houses must be condemned and new ones built. The national government also needs to do something," said Mwaniki.

He urged the government to move with speed to fast-track renovations of government houses in Kiambere Ward on the new site expected to house the Kiambere Assistant County Commissioner. Mwaniki further noted that in the 2019/2020 budget, the Assembly allocated Sh25 million for construction of the governor's residence, which is still not complete.

He said besides renovation, the county government had not completed one-floor extension at the governor's office that was allocated Sh20 million in the 2020/2021 financial year and a further Sh20 million in 2021/2022 for completion.

"The executive had requested for Sh30 million in 2021/2022 but we declined and gave them Sh20 million instead, meant for equipping the office," Mwaniki added.

A spot check by The Sunday Standard revealed that a section of government houses in Embu were in deplorable state, as most of them are old and in dire need of renovations.

This revelation comes barely one week after burglars broke into the house of Embu Senior Principal Magistrate Henry Nyakweba and made away with electronics at night.

Nyakweba, who spoke to the media after the incident in his house that is adjacent to regional and county security officials' residences, said he had reinforced the doors with metallic bars.

"I spent my money to reinforce the doors and am equally dismayed on how they managed to gain entry," Nyakweba said, highlighting the poor state of government facilities across the county.

During a recent fact-finding mission at Embu level five hospital, Ms Mbarire observed that some structures were still under construction, and promised to fast-track the renovations and repair of facilities across the county.

She further pledged to fight cartels that have stood in the way of development in Embu.

"We are not here to victimise anyone, but to ensure things run as they ought to. Those who feel uncomfortable and not ready to change should exit before we get them," said Kinyua Mugo, the deputy governor.