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Tag: Governor Kimani Wamatangi

  • EACC recovers Ksh12M from Kiambu Governor Wamatangi’s house

    EACC recovers Ksh12M from Kiambu Governor Wamatangi’s house

    The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered Ksh12 million in cash and USD13,000 from the residence of Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi.

    The recovery was made during Tuesday morning’s raid conducted as part of an ongoing investigation into irregular procurement and fictitious payments totaling Ksh1.5 billion within the Kiambu County Government.

    The operation also targeted nine other senior county officials and business associates linked to the scandal.

    The county officials include Peter Njoroge Ndegwa (County Secretary), Nancy Njeri Kirumba (County Executive Committee Member for Finance), and Salome Muthoni Wainaina, who serves as the CEC for Lands and Housing.

    Also implicated are William Kinyanjui Kimani (Chief Officer for Finance), Phyllis Wanjiru Muiruri (Director of Supply Chain), and Henry Mburu Waweru (Director of Revenue).

    Others are Paul Kibe Wangari, a clerical officer, and Bernard Kabaiku Theuri, the Director of Filtronic International Limited.

    According to EACC, the seized funds are believed to be connected to alleged irregularities in the award of a Ksh230 million contract for an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system during the 2022/2023 financial year.

    The contract was awarded to Filtronic International Limited, a company linked to one of the suspects.

    The Commission further alleges that county officials engaged in trading with the county and received fraudulent payments through illegal procurement processes, breaching public finance and procurement laws.

    EACC Chief Executive Officer Abdi Mohamud said the operation yielded critical evidence and that appropriate action, including prosecutions and asset recovery, will follow upon the conclusion of the probe.

    “Upon conclusion of the investigation, the findings will guide the appropriate course of action – which may include the prosecution of any individuals found culpable, the forfeiture of unexplained assets, and the confiscation of proceeds linked to corruption,” said Mohamud.

  • EACC arrests Kiambu Governor Wamatangi over alleged graft

    EACC arrests Kiambu Governor Wamatangi over alleged graft

    Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives have arrested Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi over alleged corruption.

    The governor was apprehended on Monday morning following raids at his residence and county offices.

    Nine other senior Kiambu County officials were also arrested in the crackdown which EACC says is linked to investigations into the embezzlement of public funds and conflict of interest in procurement deals.

    The detectives also confiscated documents and electronic devices believed to be key to the probe.

    EACC CEO Abdi Mohamud is expected to issue a statement on the arrest later today.

  • Governor Wamatangi moves to fix Kiambu roads, tackle flooding

    Governor Wamatangi moves to fix Kiambu roads, tackle flooding

    Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi has launched a road rehabilitation initiative using hardcore chipping materials from a newly established jaw stone crusher at the Gatongora quarry.

    The crusher converts rock boulders into thousands of tonnes of chipping materials, providing a sustainable and cost-effective solution for upgrading roads and bridges across the county.

    To enhance accountability in material transportation, a weighbridge has been installed at the quarry to monitor the weight of loaded trucks and regulate the number of lorries leaving the site.

    “We have established a foolproof system that checks the weight of loaded trucks, and records details of the truck to ensure maximum accountability. We will also install solar lighting here at the quarry for an optimum work environment,” said Governor Wamatangi.

    Additionally, the county government has initiated roadworks for the Corner-Mutonya road and the Karuguru-Machinani bridge, alongside drainage improvement projects in flood-prone areas.

    Residents of OJ medix-BTL-Sweetwater-Membley Road in Ruiru are set to benefit from culvert installations aimed at mitigating seasonal flooding.

    An aerial shot of trucks loaded with hardcore material for road development in Kiambu during the launch of the road rehabilitation program.

    One of the residents, Joyce Wamuyu, welcomed the move noting that flooding renders the roads impassable during rainy seasons.

    “We hire gumboots for Ksh10-30 when the river breaks its banks during the rainy season. We appreciate the County Government of Kiambu for the culverts and construction works, which will avert this perennial problem,” said Ms Wamuyu.

    Hundreds of culverts are set to be installed across the county, beginning with areas most affected by flooding.

  • Over 1,000 Githurai traders occupy new modern market

    Over 1,000 Githurai traders occupy new modern market

    Over 1,000 traders at Githurai 45 Market in Ruiru Sub- County, Kiambu County have finally occupied their spaces in the newly constructed Githurai Modern Market.

    The milestone was celebrated under the leadership of the Kiambu County Government, with County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Susan Gatwiri, and Chief Officer Simon Kiberenge overseeing the allocation process.

    This came after concerted efforts by the county government to ensure that only genuine traders were permitted to relocate.

    Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi had earlier lauded the strong display of accountability and transparency throughout the allocation process saying “We promised and we have delivered an open, free, and fair process in the vetting of traders and allocation of spaces”.

    The Githurai 45 Market comprises seven major sections; Migingo/Muiguithania, Post Bank, Kwa Nyanya, Jubilee, New Jubilee, Gateway, and Pamoja Market.

    The Ksh400 million market, with a capacity of 1,200 stalls, was officially opened on August 4, 2023, by His Excellency President William Ruto, just over a year after its completion under former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.

    During the launch ceremony, President Ruto urged Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi to address the concerns of traders who had been operating on roadsides for the past four years

    The facility was finally opened after protests from traders, who cited political interference and attempts to manipulate the beneficiaries’ list, and this had sparked security concerns which caused the one-year delay in occupation since its launch.

    On October 23, 2023, Governor Wamatangi formed a committee consisting of officials from the State Department of Housing, the Department of Trade, elected market representatives, police, and the provincial administration, to look into the matter and ensure they use the original list of allocation.

    Two months later, on December 6, 2023, the committee vetted traders at Kiambu National Polytechnic, who later took their designated slots inside the market and were permitted to set up their businesses.

    On March 21, 2024, traders were scheduled to move into the market, but the exercise turned chaotic when goons, allegedly accompanied by two MCAs, seized spaces within the market.

    The group also occupied an area designated for the second phase, which was intended to accommodate traders who had missed out on the first phase.

    Sources attributed the conflict to a struggle by certain politicians to control two public toilets, each generating a daily income of Sh10,000, as well as a hotel on the fifth floor and a daycare center on the fourth floor, among other yet-to-be-allocated space

  • Plans to elevate Thika to a City in top gear

    Plans to elevate Thika to a City in top gear

    Plans to elevate Thika town into an Industrial Smart City are in top gear after the challenges that had stalled the process were resolved.

    The County Government of Kiambu is now eyeing getting the Thika city charter before the end of this year, a move that has been welcomed by residents and local leaders who are upbeat that the elevation will attract investors, create employment opportunities and enable the busy town to receive more financial allocation from the national government.

    Governor Kimani Wamatangi revealed that once the town is elevated into a city, it is set to receive Ksh 1 billion that will go to infrastructural development, a move that will better the town’s environment thereby attracting more investors.

    Speaking during his development tour in Thika Township wards where he opened the newly beautified Mama Ngina Gardens, Wamatangi called on leaders to rally behind the development.
    Leaders present declared their support for the initiative, saying if realized, it will spur grown in the town previously known as an industrial hub.

    Wamatangi said initiatives to give the town a city status were already underway; including the recent gazettement of 325 acres for an Export Processing Zone after the county government gave part of the land that was surrendered by Del Monte.

    He vowed to protect public land in the area to create space for amenities that will ensure the town achieves city status, saying some 100 acres of land that had been surrendered to the county by Del Monte during the previous administration had been grabbed by a section of local politicians and private developers.

  • DP Gachagua brokers deal in Kiambu County leadership

    DP Gachagua brokers deal in Kiambu County leadership

    Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has brokered a deal between Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi and Members of the County Assembly, who have been threatening to impeach him.

    At a day-long meeting held at the Deputy President’s Official Residence in Karen on Monday in which, among other issues, the boss of the devolved unity committed to establish a Ksh 600 million Ward Development Fund.

    In an eight-hour meeting also attended by MPs from Kiambu County hosted by Mr Gachagua at the Karen Official Residence, Nairobi on Monday, Governor Wamatangi said he has no problem allowing the MCAs to implement development projects.

    The Deputy President listened to the 86 MCAs, the Members of the National Assembly drawn from the county, the Senator and the governor separately before convening a joint meeting in which the outcomes were announced.

    “I have no problem in establishing the County Ward Development Fund in Kiambu County. We shall enact it immediately, with the House (County Assembly). We will give the MCAS the latitude to select priority projects. This will be Ksh 10 million per ward, totaling to Ksh 600million out of the Ksh 2.8 billion development budget,” Mr Wamatangi said.

    He added: “I will also give MCAs latitude to choose projects of priority within their wards. From the kitty each of the 60 electoral Wards will get Ksh10 million from the development budget”.

    Establishment and management of Ward Development Fund was one of the issues the MCAs raised when they held a meeting with the Deputy President.

    The MCAs had also alleged that they were being sidelined in allocation of bursaries.

    The Deputy President intervened into the leadership stalemate after the MCAs last week threatened to impeach Governor Wamatangi over various accusations.

    “We are committed to the development of Kiambu County. President William Ruto asked me to have a sitting with you to find out what is ailing Kiambu for a solution,” said the Deputy President.

    He asked the leaders not to personalise leadership and find a way of working together since serving the people requires complimentarily.

    “It does not look good for our backyard when leaders are fighting and we are saying that we are uniting the country. It does not look good when we are asking those who did not vote for us to join us and we are fighting. We campaigned together as one cohesive team. I don’t know what has happened in one year that there are squabbles and exchange of words between leaders. We are together by desire to work for the people. The people who voted for you are the same ones that voted for us,” he continued.

    The Deputy President observed that since the advent of the devolved system of governance in 2013, Kiambu County has not really benefited because of leadership squabbles between the successive governors and MCAs.

    To resolve the stalemate, the Deputy President said the national government will work with both the governor and the MCAs on various projects such as construction of modern trading markets.

    “Listening to you all, the issues are solvable. We are not in great danger. I am in charge of intergovernmental relations. The President (President William Ruto) and I are against impeachments; they are not tidy; they are not necessary. We cannot allow Kiambu County to go wrong as we watch,” the Deputy President said.

    On bursaries, the MCAs will now have a say on beneficiaries, the Governor said.

    “Our bursaries will be disseminated at the Ward level. The MCAs will identify the beneficiaries and allocation will be done by the MCAs and the bursary committees. The MCAs will arrange on the date of issuance and invite the governor,” Mr Wamatangi said.

    There were structural and administrative issues which were also raised by the MCAs.

    It was resolved that a three-day meeting between the MCAs and the Governor be held from November 23, 2023 to thrash out those outstanding issues.  Report will be submitted to the Deputy President after the convening.

    Separate meetings will be held between the Governor and the National Government on implementation of joint projects, especially in construction of markets and Affordable Housing.

  • Gachagua meets Kiambu MCAs in bid to resolve feud with Governor Wamatangi

    Gachagua meets Kiambu MCAs in bid to resolve feud with Governor Wamatangi

    Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Monday met Kiambu Members of County Assembly (MCAs) in a bid to resolve the political dispute between them and Governor Kimani Wamatangi.

    The meeting follows a threat by a section of MCAs to table an impeachment motion against Wamatangi for allegedly failing to run the executive with transparency and accountability.

    “The National Government, led by the President William Ruto, is seized of the friction between the Governor of Kiambu County Kimani Wamatangi and the leadership of the devolved unit, led by the MCAs,” said Gachagua.

    “This morning, I am hosting the MCAs of the County at the official Residence in Karen to listen to their concerns ahead of an engagement with their Members of Parliament and later, the Governor, for an amicable solution.”

    Gachagua reaffirmed government’s commitment to strong devolution saying there was no room for squabbles that could derail service delivery to the people.

    He noted that devolution under the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, was designed to deliver development to the grassroots through Counties and the Executive through MCAs should utilize accountability mechanisms.

    “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,” said Gachagua.

  • Kiambu county begins work to revamp stalled hospitals

    Kiambu county begins work to revamp stalled hospitals

    The Kiambu County Government has resumed revamping the construction of Thogoto Level Four Hospital in Kikuyu Sub-County.

    KIAMBU GOVERNOR EMBARKED ON REVAMPING OF STALLED HOSPITALS

    The project, which has stalled for the last eight years since its launch, is expected to be complete and functional by December this year to ensure smooth delivery of health services.

    Speaking during the resumption of the construction 150 beds facility, Governor Kimani Wamatangi said the Ksh200 million project will serve the densely populated Kikuyu sub-county and parts of the nearby Ndeiya in Limuru.

    Wamatangi said the county government has installed a ERP Management System to monitor pharmacies in all facilities to prevent theft of medicine.

    Kiambu County Executive Committee Member for Health Services,(CECM) Dr Elias Maina, said the facility will have an outpatient Department, 100-bed capacity medical wards, theatres, a maternity wing, and a radiology department, among others.

    He said upon completion, the county will equip the facility and deploy healthcare workers for immediate operationalization.

  • Governor Wamatangi forced to flee as chaos erupt at Kiambu bursary event

    Governor Wamatangi forced to flee as chaos erupt at Kiambu bursary event

    Chaos erupted at a bursary disbursement event led by Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi in Ruiru constituency on Wednesday morning.

    Police were compelled to intervene and quell the near-violent confrontation by a mob demanding inclusion in the list of beneficiaries.

    The event held at PCEA Membley Church in Gitothua ward also witnessed protests from local MCAs who accused the Governor of sidelining them and mismanaging of County affairs.

    The MCAs, including John Kamande (Gitothua), Kimani wa Nduta, (Biashara) and Kennedy Odhiambo (Kahawa Sukari) expressed their dissatisfaction with Wamatangi’s handling of the bursary fund distribution and the County’s chicken and pigs distribution program.

    In addition, the MCAs accused the Governor of failing to deliver on his campaign promises and occasioning the return of Ksh3 billion to the treasury in the 2022-2023 financial year.

    Governor Wamatangi defended his actions saying he was committed to serving the people of Kiambu and rubbished claims that he was undermining other leaders in the County.

    Kiambu Senator Karungo Wa Thang’wa also joined the Senators in criticizing Wamatangi’s leadership.

    Thang’wa argued that the Governor was working in isolation having not appointed a substantive County Secretary, some County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) and Chief Officers.

    The senator raised concern that the government had halted the approval of housing processes, a move that continues to cripple the county’s economy.

    Wamatangi has been grappling to work with his MCAs and other elected leaders in Kiambu County, a challenge that has seen Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua intervene.

    Although Wamatangi sat with MPs from his county in May to resolve his differences with other leaders, Thang’wa says nothing has happened since.

  • Kiambu County to construct 130 modern ECDE centers

    Kiambu County to construct 130 modern ECDE centers

    Kiambu County Government has embarked on an ambitious project to Construct Modern Centers for the Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE)

    The initiative aims to create conducive learning environment among young children in the county.

    Speaking during the groundbreaking of 40 EDCE Centers in Kiambu County, Governor Kimani Wamatangi said each centre is designed to accommodate twin classrooms (PP1/PP2), an office in the middle, an ablution block, and a play space for the kids.

    In a bid to enhance smooth learning the Governor is committed to build 130 new ECDE centres as part of our first phase, scheduled to be finished by December of this year. and Within the next three years, all 524 of our centres will receive brand-new ECDE classrooms thanks to a program my administration has in place.

    The Governor at the Same time urged Parents to desist from being engaged in dirty politics surrounding the ECDE Centers located at Primaries Schools to be supervised by the Headteachers.

    He said he will ensure the Kids are well protected saying the Centers are the foundation of Education and he will not allow anyone to mess around.

    He further eluded that the County’s feeding Program is a reality saying the Bill has been passed by Kiambu Members of County Assembly.

    “All public centers are currently participating in our feeding program for ECDEs, providing kids with three boiled eggs and a bowl of nutrient-rich uji daily,” he said.