JUJA MCA STILL MISSING

A search party for missing Juja MCA Gitau Munene came across a dead body at Tatu City farm on Monday evening.

The party made up of MCAs and residents confirmed that the body found along Kiambu-Ruiru road was not Munene's.

The body was found on the back seat of a Toyota Saloon car, plate number KAL 960E, with a shot in the head and the hands tied to his back.

Nyanduma ward MCA Joseph Githia, who was with the party, said Munene's disappearance is alarming.

He said they had been searching for him in the coffee bushes when they saw policemen around the dumped car.

"We are very insecure. People think we have a lot of money," Githia told the Star on phone on Monday night.

Munene has been missing since Saturday night.

He left his Juja home at about 10pm telling his pregnant wife that he was going to make an ATM withdrawal, said Kiambu Speaker Irungu Gathii.

Gathii was speaking during a meeting with MCAs at Small Villa Hotel in Juja on Monday.

He said Munene did not return but that his vehicle was later found outside his home.

Gathii confirmed that Munene withdrew Sh10,000 for a harambee he was to attend at St Mary's Catholic Church on Sunday.

He noted that the MCA did not engage in confrontational politics and had not expressed concern over his safety.

Public service chief officer Dominic Gicheru said: "MPs have bodyguards and are armed but MCAs are vulnerable."

Majority leader Patrick Chege recommended personal protection for the legislators.

"We know it might be difficult to employ a bodyguard for each of us but it has become necessary for MCAs to be armed because they are at the grassroots level with their enemies," he said.

Nominated MCA Emily Warutere refuted claims that MCAs earn Sh500,000 a month.

"When thugs hear that we earn such amounts of money we become direct targets. Some of us earn as little as Sh26,000 to Sh30,000 while others get negative salaries," she said.