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31 MCAs fly out to Tanzania leaving Dr Mutua’s impeachment motion in limbo


The impeachment motion against Machakos County governor Alfred Mutua, which is slated for Wednesday, now hangs in the balance after 31 Members of the County Assembly were flown out to Tanzania.

The county has 59 MCAs and an impeachment motion requires at least two-thirds majority to sail through.

The MCAs flew out last weekend and have been hosted at a hotel until after the impeachment motion.

When asked to comment on the claims that he had sponsored the MCAs for the trip, Dr Mutua said in a text message:

“I do not comment on frivolous propaganda. You should know better. Where did you get the figure and claims? Tell me so and so said and it shows here is the evidence!”

“I cannot respond to ‘there are claims’ etc. It seems you want to elicit a response to support a story you are already doing. I am sending this to your editors. It would be good to discuss with them.”

TRAVEL COST

County Assembly Deputy Speaker Nathaniel Nganga, who is not among those who travelled, said the MCAs were paid Sh500,000 each as sustenance and another Sh150,000 to cover the flight cost. The total amount spent on each MCA was Sh650,000, he claims.

A total of Sh20 million was used for the trip to Tanzania whose mission was unspecified, according to Mr Nganga. Mr Nganga, however, maintained that the remaining 28 MCAs would go on with the impeachment motion.

“The remaining of us will prosecute the motion tomorrow (Wednesday) because the issues involved are incriminating. They should have been given leave, that is notified the Speaker but he is part of the system,” said Mr Nganga.

He said had the MCAs been on official duty, they would have an invitation letter approved by both the Ministry of Devolution and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adding this was not the case.

WRONG TIMING

“We are recommending that EACC investigates them because a common travel agency paid for the travel,” said Mr Nganga.

But Mbiuni Ward MCA Thomas Kasoa who is also the Minority Leader in the Assembly said the timing of the impeachment motion on governor Mutua was wrong.

He said it does not make sense for the remaining MCAs to go on and debate the impeachment motion since they did not have the numbers required.

“The timing is wrong. If they feel that they have no confidence in governor Mutua and have the backing of the people, they should let him be voted out in the next elections,” said Mr Kasoa, adding that the assembly will break in April in readiness for the elections barely six months away.