David Wangui, the Member of County Assembly for Mutira ward has been receiving death threats from faceless people after he sponsored an impeachment motion against Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru.
The section of the compound belonging to the MCA who was elected on an independent ticket was yesterday set on fire by arsonists who fled after one of the people in the compound raised an alarm.
According to Standard Digital, the assailants raided Wangui’s home in Kanjie area of Kirinyaga Central Sub-county yesterday at dawn and set a section of it on fire, just a day after two of his colleagues received threatening leaflets.
The raiders used petrol to set aflame a fodder shed, but a farmhand discovered it at around 1 am on Tuesday and screamed to alert the rest of the family and neighbours, who helped put out the fire.
Wangui (pictured) said after extinguishing the fire, they found two jerricans of petrol and a jug that was used to pour the highly flammable fuel.
Governor Anne Waiguru has welcomed the probe saying a thorough investigation is needed to bring those responsible to book.
Impeachment
Waiguru who is not a stranger to controversies going by her prominent mention in the National Youth Service (NYS) 1 saga where over Sh1 billion was lost through creative procuerement, is also being investigated by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for irregular tender awards.
The Governor is accused of conflict of interest in awarding a Sh50 million tender and signing allowances for fictitious foreign trips.
This scandal has attracted an impeachment motion tabled at the assembly by Mutira Ward Representative David Kinyua Wangui, where the governor is accused of abusing her office and violating the Constitution.
Mr Wangui says Ms Waiguru was irregularly paid travel allowances amounting to Sh10.6 million “yet she did not make the trips”.
The amounts were paid the same days the invoices were issued, with Mr Wangui adding that the money was deposited in the governor’s Equity Bank accounts.
The ward representative says the governor invoiced the devolved government the amounts between June 2018 and February 2020.
On June 18, 2018, according to the impeachment document, Governor Waiguru invoiced the county government Sh165,375.
On September 6, 2019, she invoiced the devolved unit Sh300,000.
On October 29, 2019 according to Mr Wangui, the county boss invoiced the county Sh43,800, January 8, 2020 (Sh943,700), October 23, 2018 (Sh1,107,364), January 15, 2020 (Sh300,000) and February 25, 2020 (Sh1,125,440).
On the flouting of the procurement law, the Mutira Ward rep says on August 23, 2019 the governor invoiced the county Sh1,001,910, on June 30, 2019 (Sh2,600,297), June 14, 2019 (Sh455,000), February 18, 2019 (Sh989, 961) and on June 18, 2018 (Sh1,601,767).
The governor is also being accused of violating the 2015 Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act.
According to Mr Wangui, the governor usurped powers of the accounting officer when she formed a tender evaluation committee made up of her employees – Ms Pauline Kamau and Mr Gichira Wayne.
The contracts that Mr Wangui says were irregularly awarded include the proposed indefinite framework agreement for the supply of non-pharmaceuticals.
Two Rays General Supplies Ltd was paid Sh8 million but did not offer services to the county, the ward representative says.
He adds that a tender for the design, development, installation and commissioning of an integrated hospital management information system was awarded to Velocity Partners Ltd – a phantom company.
“It is important to note that the tender had been completed by the previous county government. Nevertheless, Velocity Partners Ltd was paid Sh50.6 million despite not doing any work,” Mr Wangui goes on.
The impeachment motion was due for debate at the assembly on April 8, but the governor obtained temporary orders blocking it.
Waiguru suggested that the MCAs claiming they have been threatened could have stage-managed it to seek public sympathy.
She warned that continued wrangling and the resultant rising political temperatures could bring instability to the county.
