Waiguru’s woes pile as Kibicho joins Ngirici side – Weekly Citizen

Kirinyaga governor Anne Mumbi Waiguru is now fighting the battle of her lifetime to save her nascent political career after Interior principal secretary Karanja Kibicho bankrolled disgruntled MCAs to oust her through impeachment. Already, a motion for her impeachment has been presented the county assembly.
The PS has since sent early signals of his intention to go for the gubernatorial seat in 2022.
Kibicho, currently the most powerful PS in Uhuru Kenyatta’s government has successfully rallied most elected leaders in Kirinyaga to his side and is using them to market himself in readiness for taking a stab at the coveted and lucrative county seat.

Governor Ann Mumbi

To worsen matters for the governor, the powerful PS has sent emissaries to county woman representative Purity Ngirici for them to team up to send Waiguru home in 2022. It is said Ngirici is planning to abandon her governorship ambitions and defend her seat.

In return, Kibicho has pledged to shield Ngirici’s husband, Andrew, from criminal prosecution for his alleged role in grabbing the late spyman James Kanyotu’s property through forgery.
Andrew, who dropped out of Class Four, used to wash cars and operate donkey and luggage carts for a fellow villager, Arthur Munyi in Kaitheri, Kirinyaga county before he met Kanyotu who hired his services.
Kanyotu, according to sources, picked Andrew as his right hand man and when he faced criminal prosecution over his role in the Goldenberg scandal, transferred some of his properties to him with the understanding he would surrender them back when the case was over.
But when Kanyotu died, Andrew refused to surrender the properties back to the family and allegedly even went ahead to forge the late spyman’s signature to claim ownership to others, opening a battle front with the family members.

Ngirici

Ngirici, who is currently in William Ruto’s Tangatanga team, is said to be considering Kibicho’s offer and in the coming days they are likely to start going round the county together to finish the governor. It is said, Ngirici also plans to desert Ruto camp. Sources say, Ngirici who has also been sued by an air travel firm for failure to pay millions she hired a chopper for campaigns is currently facing financial woes after the system targeted family business demanding pending Kenya Revenue Authority running into millions. Further, her husband was accused of engaging in tax evasion.
According to sources, Kibicho has now elbowed out Waiguru from the president’s inner circle, and to date the governor is not dropping the head of state’s name to scare rivals as she used to do.
To complicate matters for Waiguru, the PS is labelling her as disloyal to the head of state after she failed to give the go-ahead to a project the president supports.
In February this year, Uhuru asked the governor to resolve a dispute over the construction of a Sh15 billion project by the Kenya Medical Research Institute.

Kibicho

The project in Wamumu area, Mwea, involves the construction of a Level 5 hospital, a medical research and teaching centre, and a medical supplies factory.
It was scheduled to start in January 2016, but the Kirinyaga county government and Kemri disagreed on how the workforce would be hired.
But during a tour of the county this year, the president asked the governor to get into an agreement with the institution for work to start as soon as possible.
The county government was to donate 100 acres but Waiguru declined to release the title deed to the institution until they signed a memorandum of understanding to hire local casual labourers.
And Kibicho is now going round the county telling the residents that Waiguru has no respect for Uhuru since she has failed to release the title to Kemri to enable it start the project.
Uhuru had observed that the project would not only benefit county residents but people from the entire Mount Kenya region.
But the governor has been adamant that she will not allow the project to start to avoid a situation “like what happened at Thiba Dam, where people had been flocking the county offices complaining of discrimination”.
“Kirinyaga people have been disadvantaged in the past when it comes to projects, which must now be addressed. For that reason, we have had reservations on the Kemri project because we want to be sure that we have a written agreement stipulating the benefits our people will accrue from the project,” she has repeatedly said.
And now Kibicho has enlisted leaders led by Mwea MP Wachira Kabinga and Ngirici to go round the county accusing Waiguru of sabotaging a project the president has an interest in.
According to Kibicho, Waiguru is sabotaging the second biggest project in Kirinyaga after the Thiba Dam being put at a cost of Sh19 billion.
The PS has been telling the residents that the delay in starting the project will see sponsors withdraw or opt to invest in another county, which will be a big blow to them.
But in hard-hitting rebuttals, Waiguru has been accusing the PS of politicking, wondering whether the PS is superior to the president.
Others on Kibicho’s side include former governor Joseph Ndathi in whose tenure the project was initiated.
Ndathi has been accusing Waiguru’s administration of playing politics with a project that will transform the county.
Insiders add that Kibicho has lured nearly all the MCAs to his side, leaving Waiguru to battle with Kemri on her own.
The MCAs showed their displeasure when they rejected the nominees to the county public service board saying they were not representative of its diversity.
They also refused to confirm two county executives nominated by the governor, only approving the health executive.
The county government is now operating without the trade and transport executives.
The governor was in for more shock after the assembly passed a motion abolishing the directorate of liaison and communications office, accusing it of being a propaganda tool that was not serving the interests of the county government and residents.
But the High Court has temporarily halted the move to abolish the office.
Senator Charles Kibiru, Ngirici, four MPs and a number of MCAs from the county are fighting her.
Currently, 12 MCAs in the county assembly accuse her of being arrogant, proud and lone ranger. Insiders add that it was Kibicho who bankrolled three MPs from Kirinyaga to demand Waiguru to resign or else they force her out when she failed to end the health crisis.
The MPs John Wambugu (Kirinyaga Central), Kabinga Wachira (Mwea) and Gichimu Githinji (Gichugu), first met Kibicho in his office before demanding she resigns.
According to sources, Ngirici has now slowed down her campaigns for the governor’s seat and is considering Kibicho’s offer to team up with him to send Waiguru home.
In the past Ngirici had gone to an extent of hiring youths to heckle the governor in her turf.
She did this during a function attended by Ruto.
The incident rekindled the 1970s war between Kirinyaga supremos James Njiru and Nahashon Njuno, who were MPs for Ndia and Gichugu, respectively.
Waiguru is from Gichugu while Ngirici is from Kirinyaga Central, which was carved out of Ndia
Interestingly, when Waiguru announced her intentions to run for governorship it was Ngirici who introduced her to political mobilisers at an event in Kerugoya.
But the two fell out a few weeks before the Jubilee party primaries, in which Ngirici secured the ticket for the county woman representative’s seat and Waiguru the governor’s.
At one time, Mutira ward representative Kinyua Wangui filed a motion accusing Waiguru of gross violation of the constitution, abuse of office and gross misconduct.
“The county assembly now resolves to remove Hon Anne Mumbi (herein referred to as the County Governor) from the office of the county governor of Kirinyaga, pursuant to Article 181 (1) (a) & (c) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, Section 33 of the County Governments Act, 2012 and the County Assembly Standing Order. No 58,” the motion read in part. It is no wonder that the motion has been tabled.
Wangui alleged that Waiguru had intentionally “refused, failed or neglected” to duly deliver to the county on the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
Wangui further claimed that Waiguru undermined the county assembly’s authority.
According to her, Waiguru was required to submit her plans for the county before the assembly for approval but she failed.
“That the governor’s failure to comply with Section 30 (2) (f), (j) and (k) of the County Government Act 2012 not only undermines the power and the authority of the County Assembly to offer oversight and approve various developmental plans, but also greatly clogs the wheels of Wanjiku-oriented development in Kirinyaga County,” the motion further reads.
Waiguru was also on the spot over a tender which the MCA alleged was awarded irregularly.
The lawmaker highlighted a company, Joames Investment Limited, to have been awarded a tender by the Governor despite falling short on the legal due process.
“The tender was unilaterally undertaken by Master Rock Construction Company whose bid was non-responsive, thereby violating the constitution and the Public Procurement and Assets Disposal Act, 2015 and the regulations therein,” Wangui argued.
She also highlighted yet another tender which the Governor used to acquire her official vehicle for Sh15 million.
Wangui stated that the purchase was illegal despite a similar acquisition by former governor. Martha Karua who ran for governorship 2017 coming second is being isolated in the new power games.
For now, pressure is on Kibicho to ran in 2022 with locals planning to collect signatures to force him into the race under the banner, No KK 2022, Kirinyaga kwisha.