Bomet Speaker faces sack over allegations of incompetence

Embattled Bomet Speaker Geoffrey Kipngetich.

Bomet, Kenya: Bomet Speaker Geoffrey Kipngetich’s stay in office hangs in the balance after Merigi Ward Representative Sammy Chelule filed a motion seeking his removal from office on grounds of alleged incompetence.

The notice of motion was tabled by Mr Chelule before the assembly after gaining the 14 signatures required to have Motion sail through.

In the Motion, Chelule said Mr Kipngetich has failed to show the competence required in carrying out the functions of the office of the Speaker.

“This House should resolve to remove Hon Kipngetich from the office of Speaker of Bomet County Assembly on grounds of incompetence, which he has displayed while discharging his duties lately,” said Chelule while tabling the Motion before the house.

He said the speaker on some occasions unprocedurally allowed some members of the assembly to rescind motions by other members without allowing the mover a chance to defend it.

Chelule said the Speaker misadvised the House during the recent budget-making process by ruling as unprocedural attempts to pass a second batch of Budget estimates and the Appropriation Bill and accepting to preside over the same after the intervention of Governor Isaac Ruto.

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“The speaker misadvised the assembly to proceed on a motion on the Bomet County Appropriation (Amendment) Bill 2014, Bill number 14, despite having earlier ruled out the same motion as unprocedural and the bill was passed under his direction,” he said, adding that the speaker disregarded the tenets of the Public Finance Management Act 2012.

Chelule denied the motion has been engineered by the Executive as claimed by some members.

“This is my own Motion and decision. After consulting other members who were of the same opinion and who signed it, I had to table it for the sake of the assembly,” Chelule said while addressing the Press outside the assembly.

Embomos Ward Representative Robert Serbai said the motion amounts to a witch-hunt.

Silibwet Township MCA Robert Metet supported Chelule and sought to refute claims of "external forces".