Mbarire put on the spot by the Senate for diverting Sh10 million to fund Boda Boda event

Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire.[Standard, File]

Embu Governor Cecil Mbarire has been put on the spot by the Senate for diverting Sh10 million meant for development to fund a political gathering meant to empower Bodaboda riders.

The Senate County Public Accounts Committee heard that the money meant to fund the County Aggregated Industrial Park was instead used to fund a boda boda function attended by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki.

The Committee Chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang, wondered why the county was illegally withdrawing money to fund a political programme while neglecting the construction of the industrial park that would be beneficial to the residents of the county.

“I would like to inform the Senate that we had a summit where we were launching bodaboda saccos and we did not have the money. We had already given a promise that we were going to give them some money, and so we used it to fund the Bodaboda Saccos,” said Mbarire.

The Senators were surprised by the admission, which they said showed how counties were using money in activities that were contrary to the law. Most of them were also engaging in unnecessary activities, yet they were seeking the Senate help them get more funds to run the counties.

Kajwang cited the example of Vihiga County, where Sh 5million was used for a house warming party and this case by Embu County for the funding of a Bodaboda function, where Sh 10 million was used, as some of the clear cases of how county funds were being misused while residents suffer.

“It should be known that such borrowing cannot be accepted, especially if that money came from the County funds, which the Senate has been championing for their increase; it is an illegality, and we must decide as such,” said Kajwang. 

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna said the county must be severely punished for engaging in an impropriety knowingly and the concerned officers should be surcharged for engaging in an illegality, for it to serve as a lesson to others with similar motives.

 Sifuna said there must be a difference between a person who breaks the law unknowingly and those involved, who are criminals from Embu who broke the law knowingly, arguing that they deserve much more severe punishment since this is an anomaly going on in counties since the advent of devolution.

Mbarire defended herself and pleaded for leniency from the Senate, saying it was the first time such an occurrence was taking place and that they did it under immense pressure, promising that such an occurrence would never be allowed again under his watch.

The Governor informed the Senate Committee that her administration was doing everything possible to clear the Sh 1.7 billion pending bills and that they were verifying them to ensure that they clear genuine bills and that they were giving priority to carrying out development activities.

“Sometimes it is not easy for Governors to clear some of these pending bills that are not verifiable, telling me not to start new development projects until I clear them is unfair to the residents of Embu who require me to deliver on the promises made to them during campaigns,” said Mbarire.