County CEOs snub meeting with senators

Kenya: A consultative meeting between the governors and senators, which was to take place in Mombasa failed to off after the governors boycotted the retreat.

The retreat, which was planned to iron out differences between the two groups failed to go on after governors accused the senators of undermining them. Tana River Governor Hussein Dado said they snubbed the meeting after they discovered that the senators were after taking their jobs.

He said: "We have boycotted that meeting because we cannot meet with leaders who are bent on undermining us."

Dado said this in a telephone interview as senators denied claims they wanted to take over the jobs of governors. Led by Senate Speaker Ekwe Ethuro, senators said it was false that the senate want to usurp the executive powers of the governors and have control of billions shillings in the counties.

In a press statement at Serena Hotel in Nairobi, they insisted the new law which was signed by President Uhuru was legally within the Constitution.

"Some allegations are false, misleading and without any foundation in law. The amendment to the County Government Act has been enacted by Parliament in accordance with the  spirit of the Constitution," said senators.

In the statement, which was read by Amos Wako, Prof Anyang Nyongo and Kiraitu Murungi, the senators said they were the representatives of the counties and passed the law in question to protect the interest of Kenyans.

According to the new law, the senators will chair the County Development Board, which will be attended by MPs, national government representative and others.