Party ties count for nothing as feuds over county jobs rock Isiolo

Despite intervention by the Senate and the Transition Authority and orders by the courts, wrangles at Isiolo County Government are far from over.

In mid June, 15 MCAs attempted to impeach Speaker Mohammed Tubi, who moved to the High Court in Meru where he obtained a reprieve to stay in office until the case is heard and determined. Majority Leader Adan Ali also faced with the same predicament.

The stalemate created by these wrangles has forced the Assembly to rely on staff seconded to it last year by the Transition Authority as it is unable to recruit its own workers.

Efforts to reconcile warring camps have proved futile. Last October, representatives of rival MCAs met the Senate Committee on Devolution chaired by Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and were advised to reconcile.  The Transition Authority, clan elders and the Executive led by Governor Godana Doyo offered the same advice. These overtures were ignored.

Tubi blames Mr Doyo for the rift in the assembly, a claim the governor vehemently denies.

A short-lived truce brokered by the Senate Committee enabled 15 of the 20 MCAs to recruit the staff they required, including the clerk and Hansard reporters. The assembly relied on interviews it had carried out before the wrangling began.  But a few days later, some MCAs moved to the High Court in Meru to stop those recruited from beginning work. The case is ongoing.

Today, the sharply divided assembly has different officials for the positions of clerk and sergeant-at-arms; and two deputy speaker — Peter Losu and David Lemantile — both of TNA.

Lemantile was ousted as Deputy Speaker last month by 15 of the 20 MCAs but he moved to court to challenge the decision. The court allowed him to resume office pending the hearing and determination of the case.

Other than Adan, Sericho Ward Representative Nura Bila (URP) also claims the position of majority leader. The assembly also has two MCAs as chair of the critical Public Accounts and Public Investment committees.

On December 11, 10 of the 20 MCAs controversially approved a Sh3.2 billion supplementary budget in a session that was presided over by Lemantile  but in which  the sergeant-at-arms and Hansard reporters were absent.

Finance Committee chairman Abdi Sora had tabled the Finance Bill that would allow the county government to collect taxes and levies a week earlier in a session that was only attended by half the assembly. The Bill was unanimously adopted.

Tribal politics

But the other 10 MCAs and Mr Tubi termed the move to approve the supplementary budget illegal and claimed that their colleagues were used by the executive to mask corrupt activities. 

 “How can they hold a session without the presence of a Speaker, clerk, sergeant-at-arms or Hansard reporters? The mace, which is the symbol of authority, was not even there,” one of Tubi supporters said.

The embattled speaker said the law states that affairs concerning the assembly must go through the House Business Committee and that the Speaker must approve the order paper before it is tabled in the House.

However, Garba-Tula MCA Abdi Sora (URP), Minority Leader Moses Kithinji (Bulapesa, TIP) and Bila claim that Tubi’s supporters are determined to paralyse activities of the county government by frustrating the approval of the supplementary budget.

“They are playing dirty and tribal politics in order to incite the public against Doyo and some members of the assembly,” said Sora.

Despite the controversy, the county forwarded the Sh3.2 billion supplementary budget to the Government Press for publication after which it was to be forwarded to the Controller of Budget for approval.

Political differences

But eight MCAs and Tubi went to the Government Printer and Office of the Controller of Budget in Nairobi to hand in a petition asking the two offices not to approve or gazette the budget.

They were accompanied by MPs Joseph Samal (Isiolo North, URP) and Tiyah Galgalo (Isiolo County, TNA).

Hassan Shano and Hassan Kumpa, who were part of the team that went to Nairobi, said budget issue is likely to be referred back to the assembly.

However, Kithinji said the assembly had conformed to procedures before it passed the budget and forwarded it to Nairobi.

“We all have our political differences but I do not understand why our colleagues are keen to ensure that Isiolo should not get money to run its affairs,” he said.

Kithinji attributes the wrangles to clanism. He said the wrangles emanated from a bid to control the employment of staff and tendering of services.