Lamu, KENYA: Lamu residents have filed a petition at the Lamu law courts seeking the removal of three nominated MCAs on grounds that they are not from Lamu county.
The petition was filed on Monday.
The three are Seita Rimone,Jane Wanjiku and Festus Kihuha who are from Kiambu and Kajiado Central.
Residents say its unfair and demeaning for people from outside counties to be nominated as MCAs when Lamu has many able individuals for such posts.
They are seeking the nullification of the nominations and instead have Lamu county residents nominated to the posts.
The three were among 18 MCAs who were sworn in at the Lamu county assembly hall on September 5.
While presenting the petition before resident magistrate Njeri Thuku,Feisal Miji who spoke on behalf of the residents said such a move was a direct denial of their right to representation as stated in the constitution and the devolution statute.
Feisal said accepting such nominations was similar to saying the county had no able leaders who can occupy such slots.
He said the move was not only demeaning, but also portrayed them as immature residents who didn’t know how the constitution works and had no idea how to choose their leaders.
He said the move was dictatorial since in such an age and era,no one whould force any given leader on any group of people and that as such people have a say in who becomes their leader.
Residents have threatened to hold protests and demonstrations rejecting the nominations which they termed dictatorial.
“Lamu has more than enough people who are more than qualified to be nominated at MCAs.When you drag people from other counties and bring them here as nominated MCAs,what should we think of ourselves?They don’t know our issues and we don’t them,then how will they even be able to help and move us forward.A leader and in this case an MCA,should be someone who knows us and understands where we are coming from.This is unacceptable in any democracy,” said Mijji.
They said the move is meant to subvert the freedom of Lamu county and that if allowed to stick would encourage infiltration of ‘foreign’ leadership.
