BY THOMAS KARIUKI
@njoroge19
Muranga Governor Mwangi wa Iria is under intense pressure following an impeachment motion that was tabled in the County Assembly yesterday.
Nominated MCA Ms Mary Waithira has asked the Assembly to remove Governor wa Iria over alleged flouting of public finance management and procurement procedures.
Ms waithira alleges that the governor lacks accountability in management and use of the county’s resources and is incurring unsustainable debts to the tune of Sh2.5 Billion which were not disclosed to the assembly.
“Gakoigo stadium under the department of Youth and Sports was allocated Kshs.30 Million in the financial year 2014/2015, yet it had incurred a total debt of Kshs.59 Million and no monies had been paid,” the MCA says.
She also claims that the action puts the county at a very precarious situation which may lead to auctioning of county assets.
It is alleged that Governor Wairia also allowed misappropriation of county funds by spending public money in private commercial entities.
Ms Waithira says that a report by the Auditor General on the financial operations of Murang’a county executive for the period between 1st July 2013 to 30 June 2014, showed that the County Executive contributed a total of Kshs.28,489,800.00 to Murang’a Investment Co-operative Society (Shilingi-Kwa-Shilingi).
“The Society is an autonomous body independent of the County Executive and according to the Auditor General’s report; it was not clear therefore the circumstances under which the county Executive was funding it,” Ms Waithira says.
She also claims that in the County Governments Budget implementation review reports of the Controller of Budget, the County Executive under the stewardship of the County Governor incurred advertisement expenditure amounting to Sh247 Million against an approved budget of Sh7 Million as at 31st March 2015.
Ms Waithira also accuses the Governor of failing to consult the public over the preparation of county plans, budgets, economy and financial management policies.
The governor, she says “is disregarding the Assembly and undermining its legislative authority, through requisition of monies and not remitting the same, hence crippling the operations of the Assembly and undermining the independence of the latter.”
A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday next week.
