Meru County Assembly to spend Sh300m on offices for MCAs

The county assembly plans to spend Sh300 million to put up an eight-storey office block for ward representatives.

Speaker Joseph Kaberia (pictured) said members of the county assembly needed a conducive working environment to effectively discharge their duties.

“They do not have offices to operate from. Although elected MCAs have offices at the ward level, they and the nominated MCAs operate from their cars when they are at the assembly, for lack of space,” said Mr Kaberia yesterday.

The Speaker said only Majority Leader Victor Karithi, Minority Leader Ayub Bundi and chief whips Kithinji Ethaiba and Jediel Mauta had offices, leaving 64 ward reps without offices.

Kaberia said they would lay the foundation for the office block, which would be within the assembly compound, as soon as the national government provided the money.

“The designs are ready. We are ready to start construction as soon as funds to kick-start it are released. We have set aside Sh20 million in the 2018/2019 financial year for the offices."

He added: “We do not know when it will be completed but our goal is to start it and gradually work towards its completion. It will go eight floors up because we do not have enough space in the assembly grounds."

The assembly occupies the former offices and debating chambers used by the defunct Meru County Council.

Kaberia said although the law dictated that residences for the Speaker, governor and deputy governor should be done before June next year, the National Land Commission (NLC) was yet to identify land where the Speaker's house should be built.

“We have written to the NLC to be given public land to start construction because it is a priority project."

Kaberia said costs would be set by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission and the Commission on Revenue Allocation.