Kirinyaga Jubilee Chairman Murithi Kang’ara has come out defending the move by President Uhuru Kenyatta to gift the MCAs car grants across the country.
The official said the MCAs deserved even more than the Sh 2 million car grant they have been promised by the Head of State.
Speaking to the media at a Sagana town hotel last evening, Kang’ara said due to the rough and tough terrains the Ward Legislators have to contend with, they should be granted Sh 3 million to enable them buy SUVs.
“Our MCAs have to serve Wanjiku on a daily basis while most roads within their jurisdictions are in a terrible state due to many years of negligect and only if they had the 4×4 vehicles they could be able to access the rough terrains and deliver services,” the official said.
He also defended them over claims that the Sh 2 million car grant was an inducement in order for them to pass the BBI within their respective counties.
“Our national legislators in both the Senate and the National Assembly have always received Sh 7 million car grants and we have never heard anyone accuse them of having been bribed as the case of the MCAs who are even yet to receive the said grant,” the official said.
The politician further said contrary to a misplaced belief that Mt Kenya region was Tangatanga dominated, the region overwhelmingly supported the Constitutional Amendment Bill, commonly known as BBI.
He said what was displayed by the passage of the BBI by all the Mt Kenya Counties was a clear indication that the Tangangata brigade led by the Deputy President William Ruto had lost grip in the voter-rich region.
The official said Uhuru even after exiting from the presidency come August next year will continue playing the regional kinpin role since there was no rival at the moment.
“Our people in the region will not be left as political orphans since Uhuru will continue being there for them and as such it will not matter who his successor will be since the BBI has clearly taken care of the area,” he told the media.
Meanwhile the leader of Majority Kirinyaga County Assembly Kamau Murango has insisted they were not coerced into passing the BBI Amendment Bill.
He said all the MCAs in Kirinyaga have resolved that the money for the grant meant for their car loan will go to the purchase of an Ambulance in the county.
“Those accusing us of supporting the Bill because the money the president gave us should know we have resolved to use it in buying an ambulance which will go to assisting our people during emergencies,” Murango said.
There was an uproar from the public yesterday who said none of them was involved in the delivery of the over seven thousand memos the assembly claimed were delivered by the members of the public.
The Chairman of legal Justice and delegated legislation and Tebere ward MCA Gudson Muchina who moved the motion to pass the document said out of the 7024 memoranda the Assembly received, only two residents were opposed to the Initiative.
by Irungu Mwangi
