Meru MCAs say they’re strained as funds for allowances delayed
What you need to know:
- Assembly business was shelved for the two days as the MCAs vowed to hold a vigil until a solution is found.
- A motion tabled to compel the county to borrow money to pay the allowances flopped on technicalities.
- The MCA said the delay in payment of the allowances has immobilised them as they are too broke.
MCAs from Meru have protested delays by the exchequer in releasing money to the county, leaving them strained financially due to unpaid allowances amounting to Sh48 million.
The MCAs were engaged in several in-house meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday to look into ways of resolving the cash crunch that has reportedly grounded many of them.
Assembly business was shelved for the two days as the MCAs vowed to hold a vigil until a solution to the pending payments is found.
On Tuesday afternoon, there was a standoff at the assembly after the MCAs demanded that they deal with their pay before proceeding with House business.
"There has been delays in disbursement of money to counties by the National Treasury and Meru is also affected. This is what the MCAs want addressed," Speaker Joseph Kaberia said on Tuesday.
MOTION TABLED
On Wednesday, County Assembly Service Board Chairman Mutembei Mbiuki tabled a motion seeking to direct the Finance executive to borrow the Sh48 million. But the motion later flopped.
While presenting the motion, Mr Mbiuki, who is also Igoji West MCA, said the money was needed to meet the county assembly's essential needs.
But it was cut short a few minutes into the debate and business suspended as the top assembly leadership went into consultations.
"The motion was stopped due to some technicalities involved in borrowing. We are looking for the way out. The government owes us a lot of money and what we want is a solution. If the finance executive will not borrow, we must be given clear timelines for when the money will be released by the exchequer," an MCA who did not want to be quoted, terming the matters in-house, said.
TOO BROKE
The MCA said the delay in payment of the allowances has immobilised them as they are too broke to meet the requests of needy constituents.
Majority Leader Victor Karithi, Minority Leader Ayub Bundi and Assembly Clerk Jacob Kirari left in a huff to consult Finance Executive Titus Ntuchiu and returned about an hour later before they went into a Kamukunji.
But a source said the MCAs had hit a deadlock as the executive and the Controller of Budget were opposed to the borrowing.
By 6pm Wednesday, the MCAs, led by Speaker Kaberia were still holed up in the chamber in a closed-door meeting seeking to resolve the impasse.
An MCA said the motion collapsed after the executive advised them that the county is not allowed to take commercial loans.
"There is no hope of getting the money. We have been asked to bear with the situation. But the going is very tough. Some of us have been threatened with auction by banks," a ward rep said.
