JOYRIDERS IN NAKURU GOVERNOR'S US TRIP RAISE EYEBROWS

The recent trip of Nakuru county governor to the USA has raised eyebrows over his county secretary’s wife in the delegation.

County employees and residents who sought anonymity are now questioning the value of the county secretary’s wife in the entourage using the county funds.

“As much as we are in support of the governor’s trip to the US on a trade and investment mission, we are perturbed on the value that Joseph Motari’s wife will add as she is not an employee of the  county,” one of the senior employees of the county lamented.

Kinuthia Mbugua had gone to North Carolina where he and his entourage were scheduled to meeting with potential investors and partners with a view to establishing a working relationship between the host and Nakuru county.

Mbugua’s meetings were meant to serve as an introductory dialogue between the state of North Carolina and Nakuru county.

The trip was also said to have focused on trade and educational investment opportunities including establishing a sister-state partnership.

During the one-week visit, the governor attended a series of meetings with the state’s governor Pat McCrory and top ranking officials from the department of commerce, state Capital, and North Carolina Central University where his delegation was as well scheduled for a round-table discussion.

The governor’s tour also included a visit to the North Carolina A & T State University and an appearance at the International Association of African Non-Governmental Organization Social Accountability Summit in Washington DC. At the summit, Mbugua was scheduled to meet Kenyans whom he was to sensitise on potential partnerships and investments opportunities in the Nakuru county.

During the visit, the delegation is said to have visited various sites including local industries and technology firms.

Kinuthia’s official delegation where Motari’s wife got a chance to be incorporated included the governor’s wife Lucia Mbugua, county assembly speaker Susan Kihika, finance and planning executive Francis Mathea and the county’s lands executive Rachel Maina.

Others in the entourage were the county secretary Joseph Motari, county trade and industrialisation chief officer, Edith Kimani, Naivasha Viwandani ward MCA Eunice Wambui and county economic adviser David Muthoga.

The county employees and the residents are now asking the county secretary Motari to come out and clear the air on the circumstances that his wife got to be included in the governor’s delegation to the USA voyage.

They claim Motari used his position to include his wife in the tour at the expense of the county’s development.

They are now asking the county assembly to investigate the status and compel Motari to refund all the monies used by his wife during the tour.