Wrangles in Kilifi assembly deepen as MCAs plot to impeach speaker

Kilifi County Speaker Teddy Mwambire addressing Pamoja African Alliance(PAA) Party members who defected to ODM at Chungwa House in Nairobi on January on 18, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The much-anticipated debate on poor health services in Kilifi County failed to take off on Thursday after the assembly was adjourned due to lack of quorum.

The speaker, Teddy Mwambire, said 15 out of 51 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) attended the session.

Reports indicate that other MCAs were plotting the removal of the Speaker.

"Unconfirmed sources indicate that a significant number of the absent MCAs may have been attending a meeting in Voi, Taita Taveta County," said Mwambire.

He said none of the MCAs notified him about their absence. Sources intimated that Mwambire and the majority of the members have differed over his decision to disband the budget committee.

MCAs were to grill Health Committee Executive Committee (CEC) member Peter Mwarogo and his Chief Officer, James Mlewa, about unresolved concerns in the health sector.

Key among the issues are the pending bills, unfinished health infrastructure projects and persistent stockouts of essential medical supplies in the county-run health facilities.

Mwambire said the session required at least 17 MCAs to proceed, but only 15 were present.

He said that only Jaribuni MCA Peter Shehe had formally informed the House of his absence, citing international travel.

''We had a session today to discuss the lack of drugs in our hospitals and also the issue of stalled health projects and pending bills to KEMSA so that we can see the way forward. But we lacked the quorum," said Mwambire.

The CECM Mwarogo had earlier requested that the session be rescheduled to the next financial year in July, citing a prior engagement with auditors from the Office of the Auditor General.

Ganze MCA Karisa Ngirani said members of the county assembly wanted an explanation as to why there are no drugs in hospitals despite billions of money being allocated for drugs.

"During the 2022/2023 budget, we gave the health department sh745 followed by sh1.5 billion in the 2023/2024 budget, and this year we gave them sh738 million for drugs alone, yet when you go to hospitals, there are no drugs," said Ngirani.

Ganda MCA Oscar Wanje said that his colleague's absence was used to avoid accountability, weakening oversight and fuelling corruption.

Wanje said the MCAs are tasked with examining expenditure reports, investigating financial mismanagement, and holding county executives accountable.

''Weak oversight creates an environment where corruption thrives, often taking the form of misappropriated funds, inflated contracts, and ghost projects. Our oversight role is being challenged as we speak, and we call upon the Senate to intervene." Wanje said.