KIRINYAGA COUNTY MINISTERS.

JANE MUGAMBI Kirinyaga County governor Joseph Ndathi unveiled his nine executive member committee. The nine hold masters degree in various portfolios. The eldest being Harry Mugo a 60 year old member who will be the minister for planning and the youngest being a Joyce Muriithi,27,who will be running the health docket. The governor insisted that the county has been rocked for a very long time with harvesting of trees in the forests where he directed the Environment minister Dr Joseph Muthike who holds a PHD in Environmental studies to make sure that the forest cover is back. “I am directing you to make sure that the forest cover that has disappeared from Kamweti and other forests that are in Mt.Kenya gets back” said Ndathi. HE said that getting back the forest cover, Kirinyaga is blessed with four rivers that come from the forest, water scarcity that has been witnessed lately will be of the past. Ndathi also told the environment minister that he should partner with the forest department to make sure that the environment is protected. The others are Ann Wambui Mwangi,33, who holds a masters degree in Planning and management and a degree holder in education, Murimi Murage,31, holds a masters degree in ,and also has a degree in law will run the trade docket, Reverend Magdalene Nduta will run the culture and social service docket, Stanley Gachungo, finance, Ephraim Wambu the agriculture docket and Peter Warui the transport docket. They all promised to work without fear or favour for the sake of Kirinyaga people. The governor told them that there is no time to waste since the wananchi are waiting to be served and that despite having no official offices, they will serve the residents from the temporarily offices that they are going to be allocated. “You are the servants of the people, there is no time to waste and the criticism that is there that we are not working should be erased from their minds when they get you in offices” added Ndathi. He urged them to work together with the members of the county assembly for a smoother running so as to achieve the goals. ends... 0723321326

NDATHI.

NDATHI. JANE MUGAMBI 19TH APRIL 2013. Kirinyaga County governor Joseph Ndathi has warned corrupt officers in the former county and municipal councils. Speaking after opening the County Assembly meeting, Ndathi said that there is an audit that is going to be made in Kagio/Sagana town council to see whether the money that was being collected from quarries reflects in the Natural resources account. “An audit is going to be done at Kagio/Sagana town council on where the council had given licenses to miners to see whether according to the depleted situation that I saw and the years the mining has been done whether the money [paid was being banked in the relevant account” said Ndathi. He however added that if there is no money reflecting then the relevant officers, be prepared to be sacked and face the law for abuse of office. Ndathi also went on to say that for now no one has been sacked but investigations are going to be done. He added that on disaster management, there is a policy that is going to be formulated to make sure that the hit areas of Ng’othi, Mwea, Riandira, Kwa-vii will never flood again. “We are going to have a policy where Kirinyaga people will not be displaced by floods by coming up with a policy of disaster management” added Ndathi He said that after visiting the flooded area, they have resolved to first drain away the water by making trenches that are going to drain water. Also on rice, he said that they are going to have a policy that will bar importation of Pakistan rice that is making Mwea farmers suffer. He said that the two or three individuals in Mwea who are enjoying the importation favour will soon be blocked so that Mwea rice (Basmati) can be sold at a very competitive price. Ends… 0723321326

INSECURITY MWEA.

INSECURITY MWEA. JANE MUGAMBI 25TH APRIL 2013. Residents of Kirinyaga south in Kirinyaga County are living in fear after the resurfacing of notorious criminals in the area. The souring security is as a result after three armed gang started terrorizing residents and cattle thieves changed tactics from stealing cattle to robbing and killing boda boda people. The most affected areas are Kiandegwa, Mutithi where a gang of three believed to be behind the shooting of a businessman two weeks ago are terrorizing residents and robbing them. On Saturday, the gang of three armed with an AK 47 raided an M-Pesa shop in Ngurubani town and stole over 100,000/- before proceeding to the village where they also robbed several business premises of unknown amount of money. Another gang believed to be behind the theft of cattle has now resurfaced and have turned to stealing and killing boda boda operators where they are dismantling the cycle before taking it to a ready market. On Sunday morning a family of a middle aged man believed to be a member of the gang had their house torched after wananchi did not get the suspected thief at home. The family suffered loss as they were not at home during the unexpected visit. The suspected thief was later spotted in Kagio town where wananchi tried to stop him but he ran away attracting a hot pursuit where they were able to corner him, he was killed and his accomplice was injured seriously but was taken to undisclosed hospital. The residents say that laxity in the police force has resulted to the increase in criminal activities where criminals are not being arrested despite their names being forwarded to the police. Contacted for comments, area police boss Apollo Onyonyi said rubbished the claims of laxity saying that the gang went into hiding after they learnt that police was looking for them. He said that the “new” crime of boda boda theft, they are following some leads which will lead to the arrest of the criminals urging residents to be patient as they are investigating the matter. Onyonyi however urged members of the public not to take law into their hands as the deceased could have given very vital information that could have lead to the arrest of his accomplices. “We are following the criminals closely, what we are being accused of laxity is not true as the criminals who have come back had gone into hiding. They strike and go into hiding, soon we are going to fish them out from their hide outs” said Onyonyi. ends..... 0723321326

KIRINYAGA-

KIRINYAGA- JANE WANGECHI Kirinyaga residents expect the governor and his team to improve the status of the markets that are in the county. The markets that are in deplorable condition has become a headache to traders and also consumers who say that the money allocated by Constituency development fund for rehabilitation of markets was mismanaged by the CDF committees becoming a headache for the county government. Alice Njeri a trader at Kagio market was quick to say that the situation gets out of hand mostly during the rainy season. She said that there has been very many promises that were put across by the then Kagio/Sagana town council where the market was supposed to have its floor have marrum spread. “What I am expecting as a trader is to have the floor of our market in Kagio be made better because when it rains the market becomes soggy, impassible and terrible. Our commodities like cabbage, tomatoes, watermelon go bad as no customers who agree to get in” she said. Another trader John Kamau, also blamed the council officers for collecting money, increasing rent rates and licences when the markets are in a pathetic condition. HE said that the county government should act fast to make sure that their goods do not get bad before they are sold as they are costly. On the other hand rice farmers were not left behind; their plight is to have the county government stablelise the rice prices despite the market being liberalized. Mary Njeri from Wamumu section said that for long National Irrigation board has been colluding with government officers in oppressing them by not doing their job but working under Mwea Rice Growers (MRGM). Njeri said that if the county government restructures the society, then rice prices will be better. “My only cry is that the county government restructures the ministry of Agriculture and that of cooperative for the benefit of farmers. We have been oppressed by the two ministries” Njeri added.