MP in row over ‘debt’ owed to county

Meru Woman rep Kawira Mwangaza. [File, Standard]

Meru County revenue collectors and askaris stormed a television station over a debt owed by the station to the county.

A confrontation ensued between Meru County Revenue Board CEO John Ntoiti and Woman rep Kawira Mwangaza’s station on Friday over the Sh509,000 debt.

Ntoiti went to the building where Baite Television Station is to urge the management to pay up its debt, or face recovery action. The TV station, owned and managed by Mwangaza and her husband Baicu Murega, is next to the Woman rep’s residence.

Brandishing the notice and the list of payments, Ntoiti said the couple owed the county the money from as far back as 2016 and wanted the duo to produce a license allowing them to operate. 

But, Mwangaza and Murega said they did not owe the county government any money. The woman rep demanded the revenue boss produce a court order allowing his team to enter her compound.

“I am the owner of these premises, so I wanted to know what has brought you here. If you have the court order show us and then you can proceed,” she said.

Outstanding payments

Ntoiti insisted they wanted the company to pay Sh200,000 for a mast tower while Mwangaza said the mast belonged to a mobile telephony company, and not the county.

Ntoiti’s visit came at the expiry of a notice to Murega to pay Sh509,000 in land rates, license and other fees owed by the station which is located at Makutano area. It was at that juncture that the exchange degenerated into a shouting match, with the duo telling Ntoiti to go to court to recover any money.

The outstanding payments listed by the revenue board are for refuse collection dating back to 2016, installation of communication mast, change of user for a plot, land rates and vehicle branding.