Mutua asks Senate to withdraw deputy governor’s salary

Machakos governor Alfred Mutua wants the pay of his deputy withdrawn for allegedly absconding duty as the row between the two escalated before the Senate.

Dr Mutua reckons that Bernard Kiala, the deputy governor, has only reported to work twice in the last 15 months and wants him to refund Sh9 million paid to him over the period.

The two appeared before the Senate following a petition by Mr Kiala who is accusing his boss of withdrawing security, his official car and allowances as well as failing to invite him for county meetings.

“We request that this Senate orders that the deputy governor refunds the over Sh9 millions of taxpayer’s money that he has earned without offering commensurate services,” Dr said in response to Mr Kiala’s petition.

“We seek the Senate determination as to whether the deputy governor should continue earning a salary and other benefits when he is deliberately not performing his duties.”

The governor told Senate Committee on Legal Affairs he had CCTV footage showing his deputy had only reported to work twice over a period of 15 months.

He said Machakos residents are suffering due to a lack of service from the office of the deputy governor.

The relationship between Dr Mutua and his deputy has been frost over the past two years, culminating in the impeachment of Mr Kiala’s in July last year by the Machakos county assembly.

He escaped impeachment after the Senate rejected a report by a special 11-member committee of Senators that backed the Machakos MCAs.

READ: Impeached deputy governor faces his accusers in Senate

Dr Mutua, who was flanked by five MPs from Machakos, said Mr Kiala had only reported to work twice since August last year when Senate issued the verdict on the impeachment motion.

In his petition to Senate, Mr Kiala had also complained of, among other things, harassment by county inspectorate officers.

Dr Mutua hit back terming his deputy dishonest while citing three bank fraud cases that faced his deputy.

“Although he may be have been acquitted on technicalities, it rings a bell as to why the same person would be suspected thrice for bank fraud,” said the governor.

Dr Mutua noted that Mr Kiala has a similar suit at the High Court even before petitioning Senate on the matter.

“In that case the committee cannot go further if matters raised here are same as what is before court,” said committee chairman Amos Wako.

The committee gave lawyers of both Dr Mutua and Mr Kiala until next Monday to furnish it with documents filed before court.

Supremacy battles within the Wiper Democratic Movement have been blamed for the differences between the two leaders. In August last year, county assembly Minority Leader Thomas Kasoa alleged that Mr Kiala was being used to destabilise the county.