Members of Tharaka Nithi County Assembly will remain in the iron-sheet-made chambers following a move by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to revive a case stopping the construction of Sh366 million chambers and offices building at Kathwana which has stalled since 2015.
Reliable sources from the assembly told The Peak that a very senior county leader has petitioned the EACC regional office in Isiolo County to give the kiss of life to the investigations into the suspected fraudulent tendering process though the agency had issued a clean bill of health.
Sh360 million chambers
The informer revealed that Speaker John Mbabu is being accused of corruption in the tendering process of the Sh360 million project during his first tenure as the Speaker and that he could have already recorded a fresh statement with EACC.
The building stalled at the foundation and the county assembly did not terminate the contract meaning that the contractor is still on site and demanding payment of millions of money.
Photo/The Peak
Resuscitation of the case also means that the assembly offices will remain in Chuka town more than 30 kilometers from the gazetted county headquarters, dealing a huge blow to the spirit of devolution and growth of Kathwana.
During a recent tour of the Senate Standing Committee on Devolution in the county, Speaker Mbabu differed sharply with Governor Muthomi Njuki over the stalled chambers building with the former accusing the latter of sabotaging the project.
Sh486 million chambers
However, Njuki told the Senate committee that it was a waste of money to construct chambers and office building worth Sh486 million for an average of 20 MCAs claims which Mbabu dismissed as propaganda aimed at stopping the project.
Mbabu also dismissed claims by Njuki that EACC had stopped construction of the building because of corruption in the tendering process and that is the reason why it was not possible for the Controller of Budget to allow allocation of funds for it.
“The EACC stopped construction of the chambers and offices at the foundation stage in 2015 to investigate suspected fraudulent tendering process,” said Governor Njuki.
Photo/The Peak
The Speaker said while seeking governorship for the 2017 elections, Njuki used the EACC claims to sabotage the progress of the county and that such a case did not exist.
Mbabu noted that he was the Speaker of the first assembly and Njuki’s current deputy, Nyaga Muisraeli was the Majority Leader and that they were never summoned to the EACC offices in Isiolo to record any statement over the building as alleged by the county chief.
The Senate Devolution Committee led by their chairperson, Ms Catherine Mumma faulted the disagreements and promised to ensure that all the offices in Chuka town are relocated to Kathwana.
She said they decided to visit the county after the county senator Mwenda Gataya petitioned the Senate to establish why Kathwana was a ghost headquarters 10 years of devolution.
Sh500 million chambers
During the recent tour of President William Ruto for interdenominational prayers and thanksgiving service at Kirubia Stadium, Mbabu and Igambang’ombe MCA Njeru Ingara also accused Njuki of misleading the Head of State that the stalled chamber is worth Sh500 million.
“We know it is the governor who maliciously told President Ruto that the building is worth Sh500 million so that he cannot support its construction as requested by the Speaker,” said Mr Ingara.
Mbabu said they were ready to reduce the building to a size of Sh200 million as requested by President Ruto.
Sh400 million executive office building in Kathwana whose construction also started in 2015 during the tenure of first governor Samuel Ragwa who is currently the Chairman of the National Cereals and Produce Board has also stalled at the roofing stage.
The workers also work from iron-sheet-made offices which were constructed in 2013 while some departments are still in Chuka town.
