Wa Iria VS Murang'a MCA’s; who is saying the truth?

Last week, Murang’a county governor Mwangi Wa Iria stated that his county government had allocated 350 million shillings for the 35 wards to implement minor development projects. Speaking during a county function, the governor said that 10 million shillings had been given to each ward to implement minor development project at the ward level.

The following day, Members of the County Assembly, Murang’a County denied receiving 10 million each from the county government. Led by the assembly’s majority leader, Peter Kihungi, the MCA’s refuted the claim adding that they only learnt of it through the media.

So I decided to research and find out who is telling the truth and who is lying. Whether Murang’a County government had released 350 million shillings to the wards as purported by the governor or the claims were false.

According to Mwangi Wa Iria, the funds are meant for development which means they should be released through the ward development fund. However, in the county’s budget for the financial year 2016/2017, there is no ward development fund.  

Implementation of such funds demands formation of a ward management committee in each of the 35 wards, which has not been done. It would also require the participation of the public and Murang’a residents. Under the county’s budget Transport and Infrastructure docket, 350 million to be distributed to the wards for projects proposed by the MCA’s and also included in the county’s Annual Development Plan 2016/2017. However, it is crucial to note that these projects are to be implemented by the county government and not the Wards.

So the governor’s statement is misleading since the budget does not have any funds allocated to the county reps directly. Moreover, the statement is not backed by any document or official communication from the county government to the MCA’s about the funds.