National Assembly Appointments Committee chaired by Speaker Moses Wetangula was Friday treated to a light moment by Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary nominee Eric Muuga when he said he did not own a car.
Muuga further told the panel that his net worth was Ksh31 million, wealth he had acquired through farming.
Asked why he did not have a car, The 32-year-old water engineer, who is the face of the youth in Kenya and set to become the youngest cabinet secretary in President William Ruto’s government said it was by choice.
” I do not own a car, I have chosen to invest instead. I come from a region engaged in farming so I have invested in land zones and planted many crops tea, coffee, banana and miraa” he stated after much prodding.
The MPs burst into laughter when Suna East Junet Mohammed asked the nominee about his dream car, while Kisumu East MP Shakeel Shabir made a joke about former president Uhuru Kenyatta buying Igembe South MP John Paul Mwirigi a car.
Water plan
Earlier Muuga outlined his plans to tackle the perennial water problem in the country. He explained he would utilise his expertise in water management to address water scarcity.
He regretted that 84pc of Kenya’s renewable water resources were going to waste, highlighting the urgent need to build reservoirs to harvest excess water and arrest perennial flooding.
Muuga said his immediate plan would be to explore the construction of water pans which are inexpensive and large-scale dams through public-private partnerships to mitigate water shortages in deserving areas.
“Water pans are not a long-term solution to our water problems but they are relatively inexpensive compared to dams. To develop large-scale dams, I will work with the directorate of PPPs and the National Treasury to ensure Kenyans get value for money. It would be wrong if approved by this house, I don’t explore that option” he told the vetting panel.
On corruption that has bedevilled the implementation of the state dams’ projects, the nominee vowed to seal any corruption loopholes pledging to be accountable by leading from the front to ensure Kenyans get value for money.
“I am not beholden or shackled to anyone. Corruption is a cancer in society and we have to root it out. If approved, I will embrace integrity, honesty, and accountability. If state officers under my mandate are found culpable, I will let the agencies that deal with corruption take their course. I will lead from the front” he said.
He also promised to strengthen water service providers to function as semi-autonomous bodies to attract funding and generate revenue.
