Sweet deals for MCAs after Wambora saga

By Counties Team

NAIROBI, KENYA: Emboldened by the unprecedented impeachment of Embu Governor Martin Wambora, the more than 2000 ward representatives in 47 counties have become beneficiaries of goodies from the shaken county boses.

In the last few days the have been pampered with mortgages and car loans, while some have been taken to on fully-paid for retreats in the name of ‘bonding sessions’.

Some MCAs have been secured trips abroad from their governors who are doing everything in their power to keep the grassroot politicians a happy lot.

Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka, who was one of those summoned by the Finance Committee of the Senate over the alledged misuse of funds, has gone on a charm offensive in a bid to win his MCAs and senator.

They are holed up in Mombasa for ‘bonding session’. The trip was organised two days after the county assembly rejected the names of chief officers the governor had forwarded for approval.

In Kisumu, MCAs have a reason to smile following the release of funds to enable them to rent offices and hire four to five staff within their wards.

The Assembly Speaker says the 39 MCAs have been given Sh200,000 to furnish their offices and another Sh50,000 to cater for rent and salaries. However, The Counties team established that the MCAs later on demanded that the Sh50,000 be increased to Sh150,000, an amount they increased from a vote in the 2013/2014 budget that was not in use.

In Kwale County, the MCAs rejected the Public Service Board forcing the governor into measures to placate them. He started a bursary kitty of Sh5 million per ward with the representatives as patrons. This allocation is expected to be increased to Sh10 million in the coming financial year.

Recently, a group of 30 MCAs also travelled to India to ‘identify education opportunities for Kwale students’ and each pocketed Sh200,000 allowance.

“This is an Assembly initiative and we went there to seek cheap university education for our students,” said Tiwi Ward representative Omar Mwakwambirizwa.

Mombasa County governor Hassan Ali Joho has given each ward Sh2 million for bursary in a move that was well received by the MCAs. Joho’s ‘generosity’ has paid off with the County Assembly easily passing bills from the Executive.

After the County Revolving Bill 2013 was rejected, Taita Taveta governor John Mruttu quickly organised a series of bonding sessions at a Coast resort that paid off.

Swift move

“We were planning to initiate his removal from office because he had shown clearly that he was not working with the County Assembly,” said Chief Whip Jason Tuja.

The two parties later resolved to work together for the sake of development.

Kilifi county governor Amason Kingi quickly signed into law the Kilifi County Scholarship Fund Bill effectively empowering the MCAs to control their respective bursary funds for needy students in their wards.

Each ward representative is allocated Sh10 million. At the same time, the County Assembly passed a law, which gave the MCAs access to loans to purchase cars.

In Uasin Gishu the MCAs have secured huge soft loans to buy cars. According to leader of majority Josphat Lewoi, all MCAs are allowed Sh2 million car loan and Sh3 million mortgages repayable within five years.

 “Most of our colleagues have started acquiring vehicles to enhance their mobility in various regions,” he said.

At the same time the county has purchased a van to be used by MCAs to ease their movement to tour development projects.

There has been a flurry of activities in Murang’a where governor Mwangi wa Iria and his County Assembly members have been shuttling between the county headquarters and Nairobi for secret meetings.

The clandestine meetings have been occasioned by a fall out triggered by the Shilingi kwa Shilingi debacle where the county spent Sh12 million promoting the privately-owned entity.

Some MCAs have been plotting to clip the governor to size especially after a commission recommended that a high ranking officer in the county government steps aside to allow investigations into his role in the saga.

The governor was forced to move swiftly to contain the situation and has been holding meetings with the MCAs in secluded places in Nairobi to win them back.

Master winner

Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua is living on thin ice literally since his party is numerically inferior, making him vulnerable to impeachment threats by MCAs aligned to The National Alliance (TNA).

This has forced him to make peace with the ward representatives. The MCAs have secured a loan of Sh5 million loan each repayable at an interest of 3 per cent.

At the same time, the MCAs have been given free parking in all towns within the county while everyone else has to part with Sh50 per day.

Machakos governor Alfred Mutua made sure the MCAs were in ‘his camp’ long before the impeachment business came to town.

The recent Auditor General’s report accuses him of illegally paying 40 MCAs Sh10,000 per day for ten days for an induction course that lasted for seven days.

 He also organised a trip for 60 MCAs to Dubai for firsthand information on a recreational park similar to one they wanted in their county.

The 60 MCAs were later joined by Mutua who also facilitated their trips to Turkey, Rwanda and Israel as well.

Members of the Narok County Assembly seem to have had their way over governor Samuel Tunai after they successfully factored a Sh150 million vote for low-interest mortgages and car loans.

The MCAs, who have been fighting Tunai and were plotting to impeach him, are now united behind him after he indicated that he will assent to the bill granting them Sh3 million house mortgages and another Sh2 million car loan for each of them.

The MCAs say they will unanimously pass the Bill, adding there will be no opposition.

“Nobody, not even the governor will stand in its way. How can we say no to loans which attract 3 per cent interest rates per annum,” posed Bob Maren, the Minority leader.