Kiraitu, Munya campaigns for Governor split MCAs

 

Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi with youths from North Imenti on March 24,2017 when he met North Imenti leaders to sell his manifesto. [Photo: Peter Muthomi]

Members of the County Assembly are divided into two camps - one supporting Governor Peter Munya and the other his rival Senator Kiraitu Murungi ahead of the August 8 elections.

Mr Munya and Kiraitu are locked in a fierce battle over the governor's seat.

Both camps in the county assembly are fighting to win more support for their preferred candidates.

Munya will be defending the seat through his Party of National Unity (PNU) while Kiraitu is hoping to land the Jubilee Party ticket.

Each camp claims to have the majority of the 69 MCAs, including 45 elected ones, on its side and is confident of victory.

Majority Leader Ayub Bundi (Abothuguchi Central ward), who was elected through Kiraitu's dissolved Alliance Party of Kenya, is now supporting Munya. He said the majority of the MCAs had supported county government-backed bills.

"At least 33 of the elected MCAs are in PNU and only 12 are in other political parties, including Jubilee. Those who are against us are very few and cannot stop us from passing bills," said Mr Bundi.

Although the MCAs are keen not to let their political differences affect business in the assembly, they have been shredding each other at political events.

Jubilee-allied MCAs, including Public Accounts Committee chairman Daniel Kiogora, have accused Munya of meddling in the assembly's business.

Mr Kiogora and Jennifer Murogocho (nominated), both in Kiraitu's camp, accused county executive of diverting money meant for development to other uses, including the supplementary budget.

The two are unhappy with their colleagues in the budget committee for approving an allocation of Sh81 million to the governor's office to buy motor vehicles.

"We do not want vehicles for the governor's office because we have many pressing needs, including fertiliser for farmers ahead of the planting season," said Kiogora.

He said some MCAs supported Munya only so they could get funds. He accused Munya of manipulating the budget-making process but Munya denied this, saying it was MCAs' job to write supplementary budgets.