Section of MCAs question funding, agenda, of 'secret' Mombasa trip

A trip to Mombasa by a section of Nakuru members of county assembly (MCAs) has caused more divisions at the assembly, as questions emerge over its funding.

The trip attended by 15 MCAs allied to current majority leader Alex Lang’at and some members of the executive, seems to have widened the rift in the assembly, that has been rocked with wrangles over majority party leadership.

The faction led by Naivasha East MCA Stanley Karanja accuse the MCAs and the executive of squandering public finances to fund an ‘illegal meeting’ at the expense of improving services for the residents.

Mr Karanja claims some senior officials at the county government devised the scheme to secretly fund the coastal trip in a bid to influence some MCAs to support them.

According to Mr Karanja, the assembly was not informed of the trip and did not plan of the same.

“The CS and other individuals decided to divide the assembly by funding a group of MCAs to Mombasa and side lining others. We have been informed that they were planning on how to save the MCA who was impeached. But what they are doing is to undermine the courts since the matter is still before court,” says Mr Karanja.

Menengai ward MCA Wilson Mwangi, who was also left out said the move will not stop the plans by the majority of the MCAs who are against Mr Lang’at as the majority leader.

He faults the executive for missing on its priorities by focusing on meddling with the affairs of the county assembly at the expense of the county's development.

“We know someone is trying to divide the county assembly but we will not allow it. We are wondering why someone will prioritize on enjoying life in Mombasa, when those who elected them are getting poor services,” Mr Mwangi says.

Deputy speaker Ngware Nganga claims the governor was being misled to divide the county assembly.

According to him the assembly never passed a budget for the MCAs to travel to the coast for any meeting.

“Whenever there is any consultative meeting, all members usually attend. The assembly cannot fund a consultative meeting for a few MCAs,” says Mr Ngware.

However, lakeview ward MCA Alex Mbugua who was part of the trip denied the claims of using taxpayers’ money in the trip.

Instead, he says the MCAs in their own volition, chose to fund themselves for a private trip to the coast.

“When the assembly broke for recess, a few of us thought of converging somewhere where we can reflect on the issues affecting our regions and that is when the idea of travelling to Mombasa came. We involved some chief executive members who also joined us,” says Mr Mbugua.

He indicates that the MCAs contributed depending on the period when each of them had planned to stay there.

“The county government is not allowed to pay the MCAs and you can confirm with county finance or even our bank records on whether we received any money from them. It was purely from our own contributions,” Mr Mbugua maintains.

He however accuses the section opposed to the trip of spreading malice and propaganda aimed at tainting their names and that of the governor.

Mr Mbugua says the section has become difficult to work with, as they are interested in pushing their own selfish interests.

“That group has been meeting and making decisions without informing or consulting the rest of us. They are now getting afraid that others can also plan and hold a meeting without them,” he notes.

Mr Mbugua challenges them to tell the public their real reason for wanting to impeach the county secretary Samuel Mwaura and the current majority leader.

According to him, the MCAs want to hold the executive at ransom by putting the county in an election mood two years to the elections.

“Some people feel they must be involved in everything, yet when they do things they do not want to be questioned. Let them be sober enough and tell the people how fighting the executive or impeaching the majority leader will help solve the challenges they are facing,” says Mr Mbugua.