The County Assembly resumed its regular sittings today after a short recess.  The Assembly resumes sittings to a full in-tray of legislative business with the consideration of the 2025/2026 budget being top on the agenda. Members are also expected to debate on several motions and consider key legislative instruments, conduct oversight and carry on their representation role in this session.

The enthusiasm to conduct oversight and a strong sense of duty by the MCAs was expressed in today’s afternoon session as members debated on a motion to express their dissatisfaction with the implementation of the Financing Locally Led Climate Action Program (FLLOCA) citing lack of transparency and minimal engagement of the peoples representatives in the program roll out.

During the heated afternoon session chaired by the Speaker Hon. Muteti Murimi the Members of the County Assembly questioned the County Executive’s commitment to the program’s objective of strengthening the local resilience to the impact of climate change. The program is designed to support vulnerable communities in addressing the adverse effects of climate change through locally driven solutions.

MCA for Murinduko Ward Hon. Charles Nyamu Nyaga who moved the motion noted that the County Executive did not involve the ward representatives in identifying the beneficiaries of the items distributed by the executive as part of the implementation of the program on the 19th of June 2025 at Kamiigua polytechnic. The items distributed included gas cylinders, water tanks, PVC pipes, bin skips and dam liners. He further noted that the County Executive did not involve the ward planning committee which is charged with coordinating and mobilizing communities and other stakeholders in the wards to design and implement climate change response activities as stipulated in the Kirinyaga County Climate Change Act, 2023.

While seconding the motion Mukure ward MCA demanded the immediate tabling of a comprehensive status report detailing the beneficiaries, evidence of communication to the beneficiaries and the criteria used to select the beneficiaries of the items distributed. He decried the tendency by the County Executive to bypass the Members of the County Assembly in the identification of the beneficiaries which in his view pointed to disregard of the role of MCAs as representatives of the people by the County Executive. He decried the top- bottom mode of implementation of the program which he noted undermines the program’s principle of local ownership.

In his remarks Hon. Timothy Kariuki who also chairs the Environment, Water and Irrigation Committee and in whose purview the FLLOCA program falls decried the interference of the program by the County Chief of Staff undermining the role of the CEC Member in charge in overseeing the running of the program.  He called for an audit to the funding of the FLLOCA program noting that the Kshs 131 Million allocated to the program ought to be fully and sufficiently accounted for.

On his part Wamumu ward MCA Hon. Peter Njiru expressed his dissatisfaction with the skewed application of climate change solutions under the FLLOCA program. He noted that the dynamics of each ward vary and the blanket implementation of the program intiatives by the County Executive is not reflective of the programs objectives to provide locally led solutions as the ward committees had previously identified programs to be implemented in each ward.

On her part Specially Elected MCA Hon. Irene Gathuku lamented the lack of proper planning, infiltration of the process by non-deserving beneficiaries and the harassment of beneficiaries by unidentified goons at the site of issuance- Kamiigua Polytechnic grounds.

Kangai Ward MCA Hon. James Njiru questioned the role of non- executive staff in identifying beneficiaries, noting that individuals only identified as coordinators had taken up the role of identification of beneficiaries of the initiatives implemented under the FLLOCA program.

The motion was supported by Hon. MCAs present with Hon. Caroline Muriithi, Hon. Harrison Kariuki, Hon Kenneth Mwendia, Hon. Jeremiah Makimi, Hon. Peter Karinga Hon. Fredrick Maina all expressing their dissatisfaction with the implementation of the program.

The FLLOCA  program is funded by the Government of Kenya with support from the World Bank and other partners and  is part of a broader national effort to strengthen local climate resilience through decentralized planning and action.