Committee chairman Anyang’ Nyong’o made the ruling after the board revealed that they have been spending their own monies to carry out their functions after Governor Ruto declined to allocate them funds/FILE
Committee chairman Anyang’ Nyong’o made the ruling after the board revealed that they have been spending their own monies to carry out their functions after Governor Ruto declined to allocate them funds.
“The committee has taken tremendous concern over the matter. We are now directing the Governor that this unconstitutional act should stop forthwith. The Executive should reimburse the expenses incurred by the board,” he ruled.
In an emotional narration, Joshua Terer the board chairman said they had failed to attend crucial meetings where other boards have been represented due to lack of funds further disclosing that movement even within the county had been curtailed by Governor Ruto.
“This type of micromanaging does not allow structures and procedures to take root to an extent where now we have to come on our own – but we have worked fairly independently with a lot of struggle and we have really tried,” stated Terer.
He stated that since the establishment of the board two years ago, they have never been allocated any funds by the Executive and their requests have gone unanswered and when answered, the Governor always said there was no money.
“We have never had a budget since we came to office, it is that bad. Even attending this meeting, we used our own money,” he revealed.
Terer also accused the Executive of interfering with employment of county staff saying requests for the payroll to analyze the wage bill and the exact number of people under it had been futile.
The board members all who attended the meeting said they had participated in the recruitment of 1,611 staff and suspected that the executive may have recruited more.
They further stated that attempts to audit the payroll have been met with resistance adding that of late all their appointments have been dismissed by the governor.
“When we make recruitment after respective departments have sent the request, the Executive refuses to appoint but later were are told the positions were filled,” said Terer.
Kajiado Senator Peter Mositet claimed the assembly had been compromised with Makueni’s Mutula Kilonzo Jnr accusing it of ‘sleeping on the job’.
“These allegations are serious, they can even cause the Governor to be impeached,” said Mositet.
“As an assembly, they should not allow the board to work on its own,” said Kilonzo.
The committee has since been asked to write to the governor seeking reimbursement of all the monies they have spent and make claims for all the expenses even as the Senate attempts to resolve the glaring issues.
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