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{
    "id": 425290,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/425290/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 133,
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    "content": "procured using taxpayers’ money and distributed by the Governor, the maize did not germinate---. The highest germination noted was 20 per cent. This means that in two constituencies of Embu County, there are people who never harvested anything because a county government took tax payers’ money and bought seeds using a fake company. In fact, the lawyer of Governor Wambora branded that procurement in the Committee hearings “a maize fiasco”. In other words, it was a serious scandal that ensured that the people of Embu were unable to harvest anything. If you listen to the answer of Governor Wambora, he said: “I did not know”. When we reminded him that he had presided over the distribution, he told the Committee that he did not know that the maize was bad. We asked him the next important question; whether he called what they refer to as a cabinet meeting, although we reminded them that it is called an executive committee meeting, he told us that he did not call for it. We asked: “Were you aware about these things? He said: I do not know”. Really, is this what John Maxwell said about: “Know the way, go the way, show the way”? The questions that came before the Committee is: “Who is in charge in Embu County? Who presides over the taxpayers’ money that was allocated to Embu County?” It becomes very clear that the person who the buck stopped with was not willing to take responsibility. It was President Truman who used to have a sign on his desk which read: “The buck stops here.” But the answer the Governor of Embu County had for every allegation and misappropriation of money was: “It was not me.” The question was: Where does the buck stop? Mr. Speaker, Sir, tonight, we must decide that we are doing away with the culture of blame and reclamation; where every public officer will be saying: “It was not me.” The question that really bothered me is that if it was not Governor Wambora, who was it? It became clear so soon in the Committee that it was not Governor Wambora who was running the County of Embu. It was not him; he did not know anything until he brought one witness known as Margaret Lorna Kariuki. This witness is the County Secretary. It became clear that the lady had the capacity on her fingertips. She knew everything that was going on in the County. The Governor told us the Secretary who presides over the minutes of the County Executive Committee was not known to him and never briefed him. He did not know anything about the affairs of that county. The question we must ask ourselves is: Should the affairs of the people of Embu County be left to bureaucrats that were hired by the Governor? Should we accept a lame excuse that an officer who was presiding over the taking of minutes will take the blame and run Embu County? Then why did the people elect the Governor? Mr. Speaker, Sir, it also became apparent that there was dichotomy in Embu County between the big and small things. The Governor told us in as many instances. When we asked him about a contract of about Kshs1 million, Kshs2 million or Kshs3 million, the Governor was clear in his mind and he told us: “Those are small things.” Those are things that do not concern him; they do not reach the desk of the Governor. It is time this House presided over these small things because it is the small things that make a difference in life."
}