Tana River, KENYA: Members of County Assembly in Tana River County went home disappointed as their main agenda of extending the house sitting for two weeks failed.
The house had extended its sittings for two weeks to give time for the county chief boss retired major Mr. Dhadho Gaddae Godhana to resubmit CECs list to be certified by the county assembly before it is adjourned for a long holiday.
Previously during the Mashujaa holiday, Tana River County assembly speaker Mr. Michael Justin Nkaduda promised the residents that the house would discuss the list of county executive committee members to be certified in order to cross over the year with almost a complete government.
The governor had submitted a list of nominees in the respective departments but the list of the executives was rejected by the assembly behind grounds that it had not gone through parameters of the constitution.
The governor was compelled to make changes in respective areas but after it was presented to the office of the speaker the changes were very minimal.
One of the changes which were to be made in the list was to reduce the number of nominees, of which according to the leader of the minority in the house Mr. Abdi Erigamso, most of the nominees in the previous list appeared in the new one.
Mr. Erigamso added that according to the law, for the governor to return the same list, this has to be after six months, and apart from that act, the list did not follow the gender equity rule and leaving out the physically challenged.
“We have returned the list because it is against the laws, the governor has brought to us previous list of five nominees with other three new. There is no gender rule considered or people with disabilities,” Mr. Erigamso added.
Lacking the alleged procedures, the list was again denied without being discussed in the house. According to the deputy Majority leader Mr. Salim Bonaya, the list was submitted on Wednesday morning which was the very day for adjournment.
Hon. Bonaya added that the nominees in the previous list did not accompany their documents with CVs that according to the MCA, is the one which determines nominee’s experience with more background information to be used by the concerned committee.
During the adjournment motion, most of the MCAs from the opposition side claimed that the government side should advise the governor the right way, as it is a shame for a whole government staying without CECs or COs.
Mikinduni ward rep Mr. Mohamed Buya Yusa lamented that majority leader Mr. Ibrahim Sala who was represented by his deputy mr. Salim Bonaya during the session had kept them for two weeks and he failed to meet his concern.
Hon. Buya said it was bad for them to go for recess leaving nothing behind adding that there were no executives and bursary funds of which to him was a disaster because would lead to many students missing lessons due to lack of fees.
“The majority kept us for two weeks just for nothing, we have nothing to take to our electorates despite them being in await to know their CECs,” said Mr. Buya.
Hon. Masha Boru a former majority leader in the house, said that the government was facing a disaster of finance shortage and lack of supplementary budget apart from having the handicapped government without executives with their chief officers, and already four months have passed since the elections.
The MCA wondered why the governor was playing with same names while the county is full of learned people.
Furthermore, he urged the government to come with a list of people with experience saying young officers are easily associated with corruption as happened in the previous regime.
“Up to now it is four months we are poor, we have no finance or budget. We are the last county without CECs and Chief Officers despite the county having many qualified people. I advise the government to bring CECs and Cos very fast and we don’t want young officers we want experienced officers,” He added.
The county assembly speaker Mr. Nkaduda told the MCAs to be alert at any time might be having a special sitting as prescribed in the standing orders.
The house will be opened on 13th February 2018.
