Members of Nairobi County Assembly struggle to reach Speaker Beatrice Elachi’s office on September 10, 2018. PHOTO | FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP |
By WYCLIFF KIPSANG, NATION MEDIA GROUP
County Assemblies have come under fire from the Senate and the County Assemblies Forum (CAF) for turning their houses into theatres of drama and chaos instead of serving the people.
Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen on Wednesday took issue with the persistent wrangles in county assemblies which he said was derailing devolution.
Mr Murkomen put the county assemblies on notice, saying the senate will not watch the MCAs paralyse operations instead of offering services to electorate.
He regretted that most ward reps have decided to pursue their selfish interests instead of championing for the development of people who elected them and protect the devolution.
SQUABBLES
Mr Murkomen said the squabbles have paralysed the transaction of businesses in different assemblies.
Wrangles have become the order of the day in many assemblies like Nairobi, Nyandarua and Homa Bay leading to the closure and arrest of some ward reps.
County Assemblies Forum secretary-general Joshua Kiptoo said that chaos has brought a bad image to all assemblies affecting even the ones which have never engaged in such violent acts.
Mr Kiptoo also blamed MCAs for not solving the problems through the committee of powers and privileges but instead resorting to physical assaults.
LEGISLATION
He asked the Senate to amend County Government Act and come up with legislation on the procedure of removing a speaker from office.
“As CAF, we still condemn what has happened in some of the assemblies within the country because it taints us. It shows that we are uncivilised and not good at solving our problems,” said Mr Kiptoo who is also the Nandi County Assembly Speaker.
“The Senate should come up with legislation on how to impeach a Speaker. We are also proposing that Senate become house of arbitration and that every senator should be in touch if his or her assembly to iron out issues,” Mr Kiptoo told the Nation.