Kiambu residents have taken to social media to vent anger over the newly elected Kiambu MCAs for taking a tour to Mombasa for orientation. It is reported that the 92 members took a trip to the Coast as a reward by the county executive for voting for former Juja MP Stephen Ndichu as the county speaker.
The MCAs are currently in a five day induction workshop, which started on Monday.
In over 10 different Facebook groups discussing county affairs, residents expressed their displeasure over the trip, with United States of Kiambu public group that has over 195,570 members questioning why the MCAs would go to Mombasa, yet they would have chosen a place in Kiambu for their induction.
Other groups lashed out at the MCAS, saying they have opted to take their time off in Mombasa, instead of helping President Uhuru Kenyatta in his campaigns for the October 17 presidential election.
“Have a safe journey Kiambu and Embu leadership to Mombasa to make merry after winning. We are yet to see you campaigning for the president apart from Hon. Ichung’wa of Kikuyu and Moses Kuria,” read a post.
Another post from Thika Town Politics Facebook page dubbed which has more than 42,000 members read, “Shame on you. Dear Waititu, kindly think hard and loudly about this sir. How sad, ugly, greedy and annoying it is to see you, a whole President’s home governor, without shame taking 92 MCAs and 15 members of staff (assembly and executive) to the Coast for a 5-day induction course @ Sh14,000 per diem, including transport at Sh30,000 each, costing Kiambu taxpayers Sh10.8 million … as the president is busy running around the country to secure his presidential mantle alone??!!!”
Another post read, “Hon. Waititu, the National Assembly and Senate have complied with Dr. Sarah Serem’s Salaries and Remuneration Commission on allowances and other overheads for elected leaders by holding its induction sessions in Nairobi (Inter Continental Hotel) but in your wisdom, or lack of it, you have seen it ‘wise’ to reward MCA’s for electing your choice of assembly speaker with a Coastal ‘induction’ trip that shall cost Kiambu taxpayers millions of shillings. We dealt with Kabogo and we shall deal with you from day one. This kind of greed and ‘it’s our time to eat’ mentality must be dealt with.We’ve spent our time and resources before in the courts and in the streets trying to make things right for Kiambu, we shall do it again.”
But on Babayao Waititu’s page, which has been communicating official matters of the county, defended Governor Ferdinand Waititu’ defended the induction saying, “My attention has been drawn to social media reports and innuendo that Kiambu MCAs and I are in Mombasa for induction courses. Nothing could be further from the truth for I was in the Kiambu office the whole of yesterday. The MCAs are part of the Legislature which is an independent body that forms part of the Kiambu County government. The fact that the Legislature decided to have their induction (that is donor funded) in the coastal city is its decision, and has got nothing to do with the Executive arm of [the county] government that’s headed by me as Governor. I, therefore, urge those fanning fire, where there is none, to urgently engage in matters that will help us grow as a county.