Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi was shocked to discover tens of vehicles belonging to the County Government rotting in a yard in Thika.
The County boss conducted a tour of the junkyard on Wednesday, August 31, and stumbled on the vehicles valued at millions of shillings including essential ones such as a fire engine.
“It looks like a junkyard, but these are millions worth of county vehicles rotting in Thika bought using taxpayers’ hard-earned money. Including a fire engine!” exclaimed Wamatangi.
A source from the County Government office told Kenyans.co.ke that most of the dilapidated vehicles had been dumped at the site by Ferdinand Waititu’s regime, the county’s second Governor.
It is, however, not clear what Wamatangi intends to do with the vehicles but disposing of them through public auction is an option.
“Well, he hasn’t said exactly what he is going to do, but I suspect there might be a public disposal of sorts, in accordance with the law.
“I am not sure of the number of cars there, but it’s tens of them,” stated the source.
Among the vehicles was a green Land Rover, several pick-ups, a fire engine that doubles as an ambulance as well as a Nissan branded Lari Hospital.
Wamatangi made the discovery during his scheduled visits to all county offices to meet staff and familiarise himself with his new surroundings days after being sworn in.
Government vehicle auctions are a common practice within both National and County Governments with some selling for as low as Ksh10,000.
In March 2022, the Ministry of Interior headed by Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i announced an auction of 38 government vehicles whose catalogue included Volkswagen Passats as well as Mercedes Benz.
The cheapest car on the listing was the Daihatsu Terios which had a reserve price of Ksh10,000 while the most expensive was Isuzu Canter that went for Ksh650,000.
The Kiambu auction would mark part of the first executive orders since Wamatangi took oath of office, as the county’s fourth chief executive.