A major bribery scandal has rocked the Machakos County Assembly following the approval of Annastacia Munyaka as the County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Water and Sanitation. The appointment, overseen by the majority’s appointment committee, has sparked outrage after allegations surfaced that some Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) were bribed to endorse her nomination.
During a heated assembly session, multiple MCAs revealed bribery claims, with some admitting to receiving at least Ksh.20,000 to influence their decision. The most shocking revelation came from MCA Brian Kisila, who openly stated that he had received the money from Majority Leader Nicholas Nzioka. Kisila even detailed the time of the transaction, adding weight to the allegations.
Despite these revelations, the majority of MCAs approved Munyaka’s nomination. However, a faction of dissatisfied assembly members is now calling for an in-depth investigation into her qualifications, integrity, and the bribery scandal. Mathatani Ward MCA Francis Kavyu raised concerns over the exclusion of Munyaka’s integrity assessment in the vetting report. He warned that corruption within the assembly and the clerk’s office could lead to the appointment of unqualified individuals, ultimately harming Machakos residents.
In response to the bribery claims, Majority Leader and Machakos Central MCA Nicholas Nzioka dismissed Kisila’s allegations, insisting that he had sent money to Kisila over 34 times and urged him to clarify the context of the transactions. However, this defense has done little to quell concerns, as other MCAs, including Mua Ward MCA Francis Ngunga, have demanded further clarification on the vetting process and the allocation of marks that led to Munyaka’s approval.
The Speaker of the Assembly has since called for an inquest into the matter. The probe will investigate Munyaka’s educational background, integrity, and the bribery allegations involving the clerk’s office and the MCAs. The unfolding scandal has cast a shadow over the credibility of the vetting process in Machakos County, raising broader concerns about governance and corruption within the assembly.
