SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2015

Why Uhuru is facing disquiet in his Mt Kenya backyard

Mukurwe-ini MP, Kabando Wa Kabando. He has blamed the Transition Authority or failure to to properly implement devolution matters adding that the constitution clearly stated that devolution should take three years but unfortunately because of the political pressure that came from the council of governors, they devolved more than the county governments could handle. PHOTO/FILE

Mukurwe-ini MP, Kabando Wa Kabando. He told the Sunday Nation that the points they are raising are meant to ensure that Mr Kenyatta's fight on corruption succeeds. PHOTO/FILE 

In Summary

  • Yesterday, Mukurwe-ini MP Kabando wa Kabando told the Sunday Nation that the points they are raising are meant to ensure that Mr Kenyatta's fight on corruption succeeds.
  • Ol Jororok MP John Waiganjo, who attended the meeting, told the Sunday Nation that there was a "serious" disquiet over President Uhuru Kenyatta's appointments with leaders feeling that few people from Central Kenya, Embu and Meru benefited.
  • They argue that the region has over the years been referred to as one of the leading economic blocs and contributors to the national GDP through businesses and natural resources, especially in agriculture, but seems to be becoming marginalised in the distribution of resources.
By JUSTUS WANGA
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By LUCAS BARASA
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Cracks are spreading in the ruling Jubilee Alliance because the TNA side of the coalition feels it has been outfoxed by their URP partners in several fronts.

At issue is the ongoing investigation into corruption that has triggered murmurs that URP- leaning cabinet secretaries (CS) may have been let off the hook at the expense of those from the Mount Kenya region.

They have in mind suspended Transport Minister Michael Kamau who has been arraigned in court on graft allegations. There are indications that Labour CS Kazungu Kambi and his Agriculture counterpart Felix Koskei have had the yoke lifted from their shoulders.

The two, together with Energy minister Davies Chirchir whose case is still under investigation, are Deputy President William Ruto's allies while Mr Kamau is from President Uhuru Kenyatta's TNA. 
Assurances by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keriako Tobiko that he does not work at the whim of the political class have done little to calm the MPs who met under the auspices of the Central Kenya Parliamentary Group (PG) in Nyeri last week to ponder their next course of action.

Yesterday, Mukurwe-ini MP Kabando wa Kabando told the Sunday Nation that the points they are raising are meant to ensure that Mr Kenyatta's fight on corruption succeeds.
He said graft merchants were attempting to shield some members from scrutiny, but he insisted that the point is to exercise oversight, not play politics.

Mr Kabando said numerous questions remained unanswered over how the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the DPP were conducting their work.
"Anyone defending such institutions is being cheeky, melodramatic and acrobatic. Apologists are unmitigated sleaze accomplices," he said.

The Central Kenya leaders have also raised the alarm over allocation of resources as well as public appointments to their counties claiming that the area was being marginalised.

FEW BENEFIS
Ol Jororok MP John Waiganjo, who attended the meeting, told the Sunday Nation that there was a "serious" disquiet over President Uhuru Kenyatta's appointments with leaders feeling that few people from Central Kenya, Embu and Meru benefited.

"Leaders felt that our people have been removed from key government agencies like Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) yet the President takes them for granted because our support for him is obvious.

The Central Kenya PG feels it is not properly involved in the management of State corporations and in ministries with multi-billion-shilling budgets," Mr Waiganjo said, adding that the President was reaching out to areas that did not support him in the last polls at the expense of development in his own backyard.

"His political game is costing us (Mt Kenya region) in terms of development. The decision makers and people advising the President don't seem to be advising him well," the MP told the Sunday Nation in an interview.

The meeting, at the Aberdares Country Club, also discussed the sacking of former Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Kimemia.

"It was worse for Mr Kimemia because he had been cleared by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission of graft allegations," another MP said.

They said that unlike public officials from areas perceived to be URP zones relieved of their duties and replaced by people from the same region, those from Mt Kenya have had to create chances for other regions.

And in what could signal further conflict with URP, TNA MPs demanded clear roles in the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) through which Mr Kenyatta is expected to seek a second term in 2017.
The group named Vision 2030 projects like the construction of the Meru High Grand Falls Dam, mega dams in Kieni, new trunk roads and the Maragua wholesale market among projects that remain unaddressed resulting in the alienation of the region.

They are also said to have discussed the prospects of going to court to have the revenue sharing formula changed to see more money go to Central Kenya.
"In short, the MPs gave a blessing to our intended suit whose effect would see more money sent to our counties. If you look at the data that we have, Central is being killed by devolution," Kiharu MP Irungu Kang'ata said.

They argue that the region has over the years been referred to as one of the leading economic blocs and contributors to the national GDP through businesses and natural resources, especially in agriculture, but seems to be becoming marginalised in the distribution of resources.

But when he spoke to the Sunday Nation yesterday, the chairman of the Central Kenya and Nairobi Parliamentary Group Dennis Waweru was categorical that there is no internal discontent in TNA concerning how Mr Kenyatta is running his government.

"There is no such discontent at all. And were such a thing to be there, there are channels through which we would reach out to the President, and media is not one of such avenues," said the Dagoretti South MP.

The PG chairman, who is eyeing the Nairobi gubernatorial seat in 2017, said the meeting discussed only issues about shared common interests in the region and wondered why somebody would want to mislead the public.

"We are in government and cannot afford to engage in such trivialities. President Kenyatta needs our support to deliver on his development agenda and not sideshows," he said.
Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi, the PG patron, also chose to dwell on the ills facing the region and cited the public war against corruption as a good example to be followed by institutions tasked with combating illicit alcohol and drug abuse.

PUBLICLY PROSECUTED

He said the efforts should ensure that those involved are publicly prosecuted and sentenced accordingly.
The members also attributed the stagnant population growth in the region to illicit brews "as most of the men have become unproductive both physically and biologically". 

They said that during their frequent strategy sessions members vowed to solidify "the mountainous zones and the diaspora with a view to providing solutions to the challenges bedevilling the region".

They have listed six issues they want addressed urgently, including the perceived unbalanced and unfair revenue allocation to the region despite its "fairly" large contribution to the GDP.
Other issues are the production, sale and consumption of illicit brews, the neglect of coffee and tea, and rising poverty levels.

The group has also raised concerns about the "seeming" favouritism shown to urban dwellers in public appointments while ignoring grassroots professionals.
The team is also unhappy about the lack of political cohesion between members of county assemblies, MPs and the county and national leadership.

Embu Senator Lenny Kivuti warned about the perceived disconnect between the different levels of legislative leadership due to lack of political cohesion among MCAs and MPs and the county and national leadership.

This, he said, continues to deny the electorate the essential services that can only be achieved by collective service delivery by both levels of administration.

On the production, sale and consumption of illicit brews and drug abuse, the PG members have called on all legally mandated institutions to once again publicly name and shame "the well-known (Mafia-like) groups involved in the trade".

However, both Mr Kenyatta and his Deputy Ruto display a camaraderie that is seemingly unbreakable, raising doubts about feuds in the ruling alliance.

The first notable development that rattled the Jubilee alliance last year was when the Igembe South MP threatened to sponsor a motion to censure Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru.

This followed a barrage of complaints from URP MPs who felt that Ms Waiguru had slighted their community by removing Mr Kiplimo Rugut from the helm of the National Youth Service.

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