Three Taita Taveta MCAs allegedly obtained Sh500,000 allowances by lying about accompanying Cord leader Raila Odinga to India.
Raila took the 10-day political and investment trip with governors Salim Mvurya (Kwale), John Mruttu (Taita Taveta), Cornel Rasanga (Siaya) and Ahmed Abdullahi (Wajir).
The MCAs are Majority leader Cromwell Baridi, deputy speaker Chrispus Tondoo and Werugha ward representative Jason Tuja.
They were to travel with Mruttu but did not show up despite the provision of air tickets and allowances, County Chief of Staff Mande Jummanne said.
“The end justifies the means. We did not see the three MCAs in India. Saying that we poorly organised the trip is a gimmick aimed at changing goal posts. They should tell you where they were during the ten days,” Jumanne told the Star on phone on Wednesday.
Tuja denied the allegations saying: “Who is that saying we took half a million during the trip? Tell that person to come for the records.”
He said the three of them cut the trip short after three days over mistreatment.
“Everything was being organised by the office of the governor. While they took a direct flight to India, we were booked through Ethiopia Airlines,” he claimed.
Tuja said they had to wait a day for a flight from Ethiopia.
“On reaching India, we found that the first meeting had already ended and the delegation left. We were not booked any local flights in India and this made it impossible to catch up with others who had flown to New Delhi for the second meeting.
“On the third day, we had spent all our money and began falling sick while stranded at New Delhi. Whoever says that we did not go to India is lying,” he said.
Tuja alleged that the executive had planned to embarrass them during the trip.
“These are games the executive was trying to play on us. This is very bad,” he said.
Taita Taveta county assembly and executive have been engaging in power wrangles.
Last year, Baridi tabled a motion compelling governor Mruttu to sack six executive members for the alleged abuse of office and under-performance.
The motion was passed but the members went to court and stopped the sacking.
Source- the-star.co.ke
Three Taita Taveta MCAs in trouble for ‘faking’ trip to India with Raila
