Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki has promised to bring to an end a decade of shame and hardship of county workers operating from iron-sheet-made semi-permanent structures at county headquarters in Kathwana.
For the last 10 years, the county workers have been operating from the structures that were erected in 2012 during the inception of county governments at Kathwana.
Leaders drawn from the three constituencies, Chuka/Igambang’ombe, Tharaka and Maara settled on Kathwana, a sleepy-dusty remote market as the seat of power due to its centrality and potential for growth among other reasons.
Sh400 million
In 2015, the first governor, Samuel Ragwa launched construction of a Sh400 million five-storey executive office building and Sh360 million assembly offices and chambers which have stalled since then.
While the executive building which is funded by the national government is at the finishing stage, the assembly one is still at the foundation level with big bushes now grown on the site that has since been badly eroded by the running water.
Speaking recently at Kathwana, Njuki blamed the stalling of the executive building on a delay in the disbursement of money to pay the contractor by the national government.
He said the grant money is also channeled through the Ministry of Lands and Housing ‘complicating’ the process of paying the contractor who frequently abandons the site.
He however said the leadership of the counties which also include Isiolo, Taita Taveta, Tana River and Nyandarua which the national government resolved to fund the construction of offices because they started without buildings had agreed with the Treasury through the Senate that going forward the money directly sent to counties.
“By the end of next year, both the executive and ward representatives will be operating from modern offices and chambers because the iron-sheet structures are embarrassing and very uncomfortable,” said Njuki.
Sh200 million
He said with the intervention of President William Ruto, they had agreed that the Sh360 million assembly chambers and office building be downsized to cost 200 million.
During a tour of the county for the interdenominational prayer and thanksgiving ceremony, the president argued that it would be a waste of money to construct a Sh360 million office and chambers building for a county with only 20 MCAs.
Njuki said this year, the county will procure a new contractor with the capacity to complete the building by the end of next year.
He said already some money for the building has been allocated in the 2023/2024 budget and more will be allotted in the next budget.
EACC
Construction of the Sh360 million building was reportedly flagged off by the Ethics and Ant-Corruption Commission (EACC) back in 2016 over the alleged fraudulent procurement process of the contractor.
At Kathwana, Njuki has however constructed a modern governor’s office and residence buildings and a social hall among several other facilities.
The county government has also tarmacked some streets at Kathwana and built a Sh127 million modern municipality open-air market and provided clean water.
Construction of the assembly Speaker and Deputy Governors’ residence buildings is also ongoing within the Kathwana municipality.
Apart from the county commissioner and a few other officers, the rest of the national government officers including the police and education departments operate from Chuka town which is 30 kilometers from Kathwana.
