Machakos residents are unhappy with officials for carelessness in handling county vehicles.
This comes after most of the 120 cars bought in a massive project dubbed ‘Machakos County Comprehensive Security Project’ in 2014 became grounded.
The project was the brainchild of Governor Alfred Mutua and was aimed at boosting security in every part of the county.
The Nairobian can reveal that most of the cars are no longer operational and are wasting away in private garages.
According to a mechanic at a garage in Machakos town, the county inspectorate is negligent and careless.
“Inspectorate cars, most of which are in this garage, are driven carelessly. The drivers hardly observe traffic rules and drive without a care. The county is therefore wasting a lot of money to repair the vehicles,” said the mechanic who did not wish to be named.
Machakos town MCA Cornelius Kitheka said that, “We need an audit of the county ambulances, inspectorate and county police cars to ascertain the truth. I feel we are being lied to. They say these are our property, yet they are not registered in the county’s name.”
Kitheka also noted that carelessness and negligence was to blame.
“These cars are not being used to deliver services they were meant for. Sometimes you find them at weddings. At times you find ambulances carrying tents,” Kitheka claimed. He claimed that some of the cars have been stolen, but no one has bothered to follow-up such cases.
Reacting to the claims, Machakos County’s Minister of County Administration Kioko Luka denied any knowledge of county cars wasting in various garages.
He said that, “I am not aware of any county inspectorate car that is not operational or at a private garage within Machakos County.”