Gachagua w*rns MCAs on Wam**angi impeachment

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua yesterday warned Kiambu Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) against impeaching Governor Kimani Wamatangi.

Gachagua who held reconciliatory meetings with all the elected leaders from the county told the MCAs that impeaching the governor was not an option.

It however emerged during the meeting that the current impasse was engineered by Members of Parliament who had personal differences with the governor.

Gachagua had summoned the elected leaders from Kiambu to discuss the fallout between them and Wamatangi.

“The issue of impeaching the governor will not help in solving problems of your people and those of the electorates. What you should do at this time is to forge unity and implement your manifestos,” Gachagua reportedly told the MCAs during a closed-door meeting at his Karen office.

A section of MCAs told Gachagua that the existing squabbles within the country were a result of the differences between the governor and the Majority Leader in the National Assembly Kimani Ichungw’ah.

Majority leader removal

“MCAs feel that the MPs led by Ichungw’ah have been fighting the Governor out of their selfish interests. For instance, the removal of Godfrey Mucheke from the position of Majority Leader was orchestrated by the MPs and replaced by Limuru East MCA Paul Macharia,” said the source. Mucheke was however reinstated by the court which termed the removal as unprocedural.

Gachagua met the MCAs during an early meeting before holding a session with all the 14 MPs.
Later in the afternoon, he met Governor Wamatangi in another closed-door meeting to understand what problem he had with the other leaders.

Focus on delivery

“We had a candid session with the DP, he wanted us to openly tell the issues that have been dividing us and MCAs explained it all,” said one of them who sought anonymity. Addressing the MCAs, Gachagua called on them to focus on service delivery.

The DP insisted that President William Ruto-led administration is focused on service delivery.
“The Ruto administration roots for a strong Devolution, and therefore, we have no room for squabbles that will derail service delivery to the people,” Gachagua said.

He added, “The national government, led by the President Ruto is seized of the friction between Governor Wamatangi and the leadership of the devolved unit, led by the MCAs.”

He emphasized that seamless synergy of working together between the Executive and the legislative arm of the county government is crucial in achieving the main goal of devolution-igniting and sustaining development.

Addressing congregants at Kiambu Anglican Church on Sunday, Gachagua said, “I want to understand what has been ailing this county, we cannot allow Kiambu to go down as we watch.”

He also urged Wamatangi to embrace his deputy Rosemary Kirika in running the county. “Governor ought to borrow a leaf from President William Ruto who accords his deputy duties and allows him to work as assigned.”

The county has 86 MCAs, 49 of whom are supporting Wamatangi while 16 want him ousted. The pro-Wamatangi MCAs are now claiming that some of their colleagues are getting backing from the disgruntled MPs to pass a motion of impeachment against the Governor, a move they vowed to crush.

The ward reps dared their counterparts to bring the motion to the County Assembly, vowing that the majority would throw it out.