Maragua chiefs in spotlight for 'sabotaging' World Bank project
A Maragua town street on July 27, 2022.
Murang'a County Commissioner Karuku Ngumo has ordered investigations into claims that some chiefs are fighting a Sh2.5 billion World Bank package to develop Maragua town.
This follows attempts to disrupt Tuesday's public participation forum between the Maragua Residents and Business Community Association (MRBCA) and the Murang'a Municipal Board on how to use the money.
The meeting was held to pick the town roads that will be tarmacked, hawking yards to be fitted with cabro blocks, a site to build the Murang'a Water and Sanitation Company (Muwasco) and fitting the town with a functional sewerage system.
The town falls under Nginda and Ichagaki wards, with some of the five administrators being accused of sabotage.
According to MRBCA chairman Henry Beauttah, opposition from the chiefs arose from political leanings, differences among water service providers and budget control issues.
"There are politicians who have ganged up to defeat the project because they want to continue politicising the development projects,” Mr Beauttah said.
“There is Muwasco and Murang'a South Water and Sanitation Company (Muswasco) competing to control services in the town and there are politics that the chiefs should play a critical role in controlling the budget."
He added that some actors were using the chiefs to mobilise residents to oppose the projects.
Mr Ngumo acknowledged receiving the allegations, confirming that he had ordered investigations into the matter.
"I am aware of the issue and I am making a follow-up. Of all the issues we can play monkey business with, development of our people and their habitations is not one of them," he said.
MRBCA coordinator Maluki Mohammed said: "It was unfortunate that chiefs who are put in office to help society access maximum development can be the ones to turn around and play the role of saboteurs.
“It can only mean they want poor infrastructure to prevail and poverty to reign so that they can continue collecting rent from the misery of residents."
Murang'a Municipal Board chairman Benson Githenji led the public participation drive in the town and announced that Maragua was incorporated into the municipality and would appoint two members to the board.
"We are going to tarmac about 15km of the town roads and we have since surveyed and mapped them. We will give the town a facelift that includes giving it a reliable water supply as well as a functional sewerage system," he said.
The roads picked are those connecting the Maragua Police Station to the central business district, Kwa Ibandi to Kanisani and Penny Inn to Kwa Job.
Nation.Africa was told that Mr Ngumo, the county commissioner, had delegated the probe into the conduct of the named chiefs to Murang'a South Deputy County Commissioner Gitonga Muriungi and his assistant Joshua Okello.
Meanwhile, the MRBCA insisted that the project be owned by the people and the chiefs play a complementary role.
"What is being done is for the benefit of developers, investors and residents. It is not a political process but a purely developmental issue,” the MRBCA said in its petition to the county commissioner.
“[The] World Bank does not vote in Maragua and has no candidates. Chiefs should be the last to fight development to a point of sponsoring hecklers into a public participation forum."
Other members of the joint implementation committee are Mr Lameck Muiruri, Reuben Chege, Wallace Muraguri, David Wamatu, Kenneth Maguta, Charity Wambui and Kanyanjui Kara.
Area MP Mary Wa Maua has put the chiefs on notice for playing politics.
"They are being recorded in political gatherings shouting partisan slogans as well as fighting development projects. It is unfortunate. We
have their names and recordings and soon we will have a conversation about them and their conduct," she said.
She added: "We are all supposed to unite at the scent of development for our people regardless of who is the source. Then [we can] resume our sectarian positions once the people have benefited. No interest should override the public good".
