Mung’aro gives officers three days to return government vehicles in private use

Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro has given 72 hours ultimatum to officers possessing government vehicles to return them.

Mung’aro said senior officers who served in previous regimes are still using government vehicles as their personal properties.

He said the officers risk arrest at the lapse of 72 hours.

The vehicles, which bore civilian registration numbers, were used by contractors in different projects but released back to the county at the completion of their contracts.

On Wednesday, Mung’aro visited the Kilifi County Police headquarters to inspect some vehicles impounded by the police after they were found in the hands of individuals yet they are supposed to be in the custody of the county government.

The released vehicles now in the custody of the police included six pickup trucks.

“Most of the vehicles here are still in good shape and only need minor repairs. Information I have is that there are more vehicles still in the hands of an individual. I need those vehicles back to the county garage before close of business this Friday,” he told the county officer in charge of transport.

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He said such vehicles once in operation, would reduce the vehicles shortage currently dodging many departments, hindering service delivery.

“I know most of these vehicles had been used by politicians in campaigns which is illegal. Let those vehicles in the hands of individuals returned immediately so that they can be assigned duties by the county government,” he said.

Mung’aro later toured the government garage in Kilifi town he came face to face with grounded vehicles, most of which are beyond repair.

He asked officers to initiate plans to auction the vehicles.

The vehicles attract storage fee as the government leased the garage to a private investor.

“There are many county vehicles I found grounded in different garages across the county. Kindly get their records and those that we cannot repair then they should be auctioned instead of them being a liability to the county government. We cannot have a vehicle that can fetch a good price at this moment, leave it to rot and then sell it at a loss. The vehicles purchased by the county government since 2014 and can’t render services again should be auctioned,” he said.

A good number of essential services vehicles like ambulances have also been grounded.

Several tractors which were purchased as part of the agricultural mechanization programme by the former regime also have been grounded