MCAs set record straight on contentious gym subscription, school girls’ inner wear

Members of the Embu County Assembly. [File, Standard]

Embu MCAs have defended the proposed budget estimates, stating the matter was overly politicised and exaggerated to provoke public outcry.

Led by Majority Leader Michael Njeru, the MCAs explained the County Assembly’s proposal to set aside a Sh11 million sports and fitness kitty was for inter-county games and sports tournaments, but not solely to fund gym subscriptions.

Njeru said on completion, the ultramodern County Assembly office complex would have an equipped gymnasium for MCAs and Assembly staff to exercise in.

“MCAs are involved in various sporting activities aimed at maintaining their fitness. They need to exercise regularly to win in football, rugby and tug-of-war games,” he said.

The Kithimu MCA who spoke during a fundraiser in his ward, however, said it was impractical to use public funds to pay gym membership for MCAs when they could exercise in open public playgrounds at no costs.

Mbeti North MCA Peter Murithi dismissed allegations that the 33 MCAs would get free gym membership, adding that devolved leadership would not be influenced by online noisemakers.

Assembly’s Sectoral Committee on Health chairman Sammy Muturi urged his counterparts to endeavour to keep fit by either paying for their own gym subscriptions or making time to exercise in fitness clubs to avoid suffering from lifestyle diseases associated with sedentary lives.

Speaking separately, Minority Leader Masters Mwaniki defended the proposal to provide free underwear to needy school girls, saying the move will keep thousands of girls from poverty stricken households in school.

He said the problem was serious in far-flung parts of the county and could not be wished away.

The Gender and Children’s Affairs department will also provide free sanitary towels to girls to promote menstrual hygiene. [File, Standard]

 “The county budget is still being drafted and has not been finalised. I urge residents to remain calm and wait for the Appropriations Bill to judge the final projects that would be proposed for funding,” he said.

Nominated MCA Edna Muisyo said the provision of sanitary pads and underpants was going on in several other counties, but was overly politicised in Embu by malicious people out to malign the County Government.