Why CO cannot be in office
yet he quit or was interdicted
By The Anchor Writer
THE FATE of Governor Wavinya's Chief officer for Cooperative Development Anthony Mutunga Mutuku remains unclear even after The Anchor established that the official had been interdicted.
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| Mr. Anthony Mutunga |
His interdiction has been looming for over a month since he was asked to account for close to Kes 10m Our sources at the Cooperatives ministry say the cash- initially some Kes 11m had been set aside for a Coffee Research project.
When the 14 day notice he had been given by the County Secretary Dr Muia Ndambuki elapsed, the CS interdicted him and required the lawyer CO to account for the money.
Sources close to Mr. Mutunga say at this time, he contemplated quitting his job or even taking legal action to save his name.
The grapevine has it the cash in question has been reducing since part of it - Kes 5m-was handed over in cash to a top county official who we cannot name until the official responds to a query over the alleged hand-over. It is also said that a close relative of the top honcho was handed another Kes 2m- a practice that county officials say is a routine practice in the Wavinya Ndeti administration. We have not been told who and where the cash was handed over.
These below -the- desk transactions must have slashed the money by Kes 7 m and observers wonder how corruption money can be accounted for without incriminating bosses up and downwards.
It is alleged that close to Kes10m is unaccounted for and if this is the actual situation, one can see why the money will never be accounted for since those who collected the money appear to be 'County Untouchables'
Read Also : http://theanchormedia.blogspot.com/2024/04/wavinya-suspends-chief-officer.html
It is also rumored that Mutunga is interested in vying for Matungulu parliamentary seat come 2027, increasing pressure upon him that greets officials with political ambition who are seen as future challengers to the powers that be in the county.
But as word went round that Mutunga was out of the county government either through resignation or interdiction, adding to what is seen as mass exodus from the Wavinya administration, a spin was added to his departure. The spin was that he was quitting due to "... Pressure to transfer Ksh. 67 million to Wavinya to cover her expenses during a foreign trip. The funds were reportedly demanded for "upkeep"" This claim remains unsubstantiated.
As this posting on the social media went viral, The Anchor can authoritatively reveal that the viral post caught the attention of Governor Wavinya and she re-shared it among her top officials, triggering an effort to push back the allegations by Wavinya's handlers.
Later in the day, a rare Press Statement, in fact, the first in the Department of Cooperatives was issued saying " My attention has been drawn to baseless and malicious propaganda post circulating on various social media platforms alleging that I'm no longer in service with the County Government of Machakos." The statement added " For the avoidance of doubt, the said post is baseless, malicious and ill intended to malign the great reputation of H.E the County Government of Machakos(Sic) and myself. The same should be treated with the contempt it deserves. I remain steadfast in discharging my duties and responsibilities for the benefit of the people of Machakos County"
Observers believe that the statement attributed to Mr. Mutunga was either drafted by officials in Wavinya's government to save face and if it was indeed signed by the CO, it may have been an act of treading horses between him and the county government. Communications Chief Officer Joyce Gituro told The Anchor that Mutunga had neither resigned nor been interdicted.
It cannot be out of nothing that Mutunga was asked to account for money, an act that was followed by a letter of interdiction, followed by the claim Kes 67m to support Wavinya's trip abroad.
Be that as it may, the truth is that Mr Mutunga cannot have resigned, been interdicted or remain in office all at the same time; That there is a murky story being hidden is not in doubt. Only time will tell.
