MCAs Demand Speedy Revival of Road Maintenance Machinery

The MCAs who discussed components of a recently passed Supplementary Budget observed that the County Government had been needlessly haemorrhaging colossal sums of public money to contractors instead of using the equipment already purchased using taxpayers’ funds. The county graders in question have been grounded for more than three years.

Majority Leader Peter Muriithi who is also the MCA for Mbeti North Ward advised the infrastructure docket to immediately commence procurement of Ward Equalisation projects and prioritise on all weather roads at the grassroots. He said time to implement projects in the current fiscal year was limited. Minority Leader Ngari Mbaka said it was an unwarranted waste of public funds for the county to acquire expensive graders and other earthmoving machinery, then have them lay idle due to poor maintenance. The Mavuria MCA also called for operationalisation of the county’s borehole drilling rig which stalled while brand new.

While pointing out that all weather roads needed regular maintenance, former Budget and Appropriation Committee Chairman Mucangi Mwariama (Karaari North) revealed that the county government cannot afford to rehabilitate all roads through contractual terms since it was too costly. He opined that routine road repairs ought to be done using county equipment.

Nominated MCA Agnes Gakungugu pointed an accusing finger at the County Executive Committee Member for Roads Transport and Public Works Elijah Mugo for failing to account for funds allocated for maintenance of graders in the past, saying he had an explanation to make to the Assembly. She said unlike the KSh 3million grader repair funds which vanished three years ago, usage of the current the KSh 15million would be closely monitored.

Mbeti South MCA Murithi Kiura warned officers at the Agriculture Docket to ensure the KSh 8 million allocated for purchase of certified seeds would be used prudently to procure genuine high-quality seeds, reminding his counterparts that the counterparts that the previous County Government once supplied seeds worth millions of shillings, which never germinated.

The leaders who spoke during a plenary sitting also called for speedy utilisation of KSh 40 million for school feeding programme for Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) pupils and purchase of pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical supplies for healthcare facilities across the country.