Ward reps hit out at senator for 'plotting downfall of Wamatangi'

Kiambu MCAs have trained their guns on Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa, accusing him of disrespecting them and being behind a scheme to destabilise the county government.

The ward reps say while the Constitution mandates Karungo to supervise Governor Kimani Wamatangi’s administration, the senator is working for the downfall of the county boss.

Led by County Assembly Leader of Majority Godfrey Mucheke and Chief Whip Nelson Munga, the MCAs described Karungo as an inconsiderate absentee senator who addresses Kiambu issues on social media where he disparages them. 

The MCAs, among them Grace Hinga (Kabete), Ruth Waithira (Githiga), Kennedy Odhiambo (Kahawa Sukari) and Peter Mburu (Kamenu), were further angered that Karungo, in a TikTok video, had referred to them as minions who do not understand their oversight role regarding county government affairs.

Mucheke accused Karugo of lacking etiquette befitting his office.

“Governor Wamatangi seems to have set a very high bar when he was our senator because of how he conducted himself and his achievements, and Karungo has been unable to fit in his shoes. That is why he is engaging in theatrics that only put the county to public shame. Instead of taking serious motions and bills to the Senate or fighting for increased county resources, he is always on TikTok recording videos,” said Mucheke.

While analysing the Control of Budget (CoB) report, Karungo claimed the county performed poorly on its own-source revenue collection between July and December 2023.

The report indicated Wamatangi raised Sh540 million more in the current fiscal year compared to a similar period in the previous year, making Kiambu the top in Mt Kenya and third nationally.

“The senator is never present during important public matters. He has never addressed the County Assembly. We only see him talking on Tik Tok making wild allegations,” said Waithira. 

The senator is part of a group coalescing around National Assembly Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wa who has been a big critic of Wamatangi’s administration. Others are Woman Rep Anne Wamuratha, MPs Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika), Mburu Kahangara (Lari), Njuguna ka Wanjiku (Kiambaa), Githua Wamachuku (Kabete), Gabriel Kabombe (Gatundu South) and John Kiragu (Limuru).

The senator defended himself, saying he was only playing his role of overseeing the county government, and that no amount of intimidation would stop him.

The MCAs claimed the MPs were unhappy that Wamatangi had blocked them from grabbing public land.