The Kitui executive and MCAs are trading accusations over the stalling of a snake park project in Kitui South constituency.
The Mutomo Snake and Animal Sanctuary project was hailed as a top tourist attraction site once complete.
But MCAs say the project has been abandoned and was in a state of neglect.
The ward representatives visited the site on Friday in an inspection tour of development projects and noted there was very little to show for about Sh10 million that has been pumped into the initiative.
The team was led by tourism committee chairperson Elizabeth Mulu and Kyome MCA Alex Wambua. They said they were shocked by the desolate state of the project despite millions of shillings having been pumped into it.
They said failure to complete the project amounted to misuse of public resources and loss of revenue.
Mulu said the county government's tourism department would be made to account for the up to Sh10 million it has so far received to implement the tourist attraction site.
Tourism executive Koki Musau however said the project stalled because MCAs starved it of cash allocation. He said the ward representatives were just shedding crocodile tears.
"It is true that initially the assembly allocated something in the region of Sh10 million for the project which we used in erecting a gate, a concrete perimeter wall and a snake house. Ever since, the have denied the project money,” Musau told the Star on the phone on Monday.
He added, “Even in the 2020-21 budget, we allocated Sh30 million for the snake park project but the assembly reallocated the money elsewhere. We were left with no money to continue with the project.”
During the last week’s visit to the site, Wambua said MCAs were dismayed that the snake was in a state of disuse. He said the assembly was ready to allocate funds to the project to ensure it was completed.
Mulu said she was surprised that when MCAs visited the snake park in 2019, they were informed that infrastructure works would be completed in weeks.
She said she was surprised that the work had not been completed nearly two years down the line.
Mutomo subcounty administrator Festus Mbuthi who conducted the delegation during the tour however said the snake park project had not stalled and was instead being implemented in phases.
He said implementation will resume when funds are availed.
