Kirinyaga county governor Ann Mumbi Waiguru on Sunday, April 12, said she welcomes planned corruption investigations against her by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
In a statement to the press, Governor Waiguru said that she’s sincerely and most glad to welcome EACC or any other independent investigative organ to Kirinyaga County to probe any malfeasance at the executive and at the County Assembly.
The governor, who is facing impeachment motion by the county assembly, added that independent investigations are the only objective means of establishing fault on her.
She pointed out that partisan MCAs or other persons pushing political agendas for their masters must not be allowed to detract those in leadership from implementing their mandate.
“These independent and objective investigations will reveal where integrity at the County is abused and who has abused their offices,” Ms. Waiguru said.
She added: “For the record my office has received objective commendations for excellence in procurement and implementation from the Public Procurement and Regulations Authority and was ranked number three in procurement compliance among all the other counties in the most recent review. We, therefore, welcome EACC and look forward to a speedy conclusion of these investigations.”
On Saturday, April 10, EACC revealed that it has begun investigating Ms. Waiguru and Kirinyaga County Assembly following a report of their involvement in an irregular payment of allowances and awarding of tenders.
EACC central region manager Charles Rasungu said that complaints against the county boss relate to conflict of interest in awarding a Ksh 50 million tender and signing allowance for fictitious foreign trips.
The top anti-corruption detective said that sleuths from the EACC will be dispatched to Kirinyaga County to commence an investigation and scrutinize the necessary documents as soon as the Covid-19 pandemic is contained.
Mr. Rusugu claimed that the county assembly illegally paid allowances to MCAs during the tenure of former acting speaker John Wagura.
The anti-graft official said that the organization is reviewing the report and will act accordingly.
Last week, the High Court stopped the assembly from discussing the impeachment motion against Ms. Waiguru until the country is declared free of COVID-19 pandemic.
Justice Weldon Korir said that holding impeachment proceedings at this time will automatically prejudice the governor’s political rights.
But he noted that were it not for the COVID-19 pandemic, it would not have heeded to the governor’s request to halt the impeachment.
But the governor said that the county government remains focused on the preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19 saying that they take the challenges on her way in and on her stride because she believes that
