MCAs seal county secretary’s fate in tense vote

By ERIC LUNGAI

Vihiga, Kenya: The fate of Vihiga County secretary Linnet Abdalla is more or less sealed.

Last Thursday, the county assembly  voted out the official after adopting a report by the committee on appointments.

A total of 22 members voted to adopt the report, 16 voted against it while one member was unable to decide prompting the speaker to declare his vote as an abstention. Efforts by the minority side and four United Democratic Front (UDF) party MCAs to save Ms Abdalla were defeated by the majority side that voted in favour of the report.

The minority side in the assembly is composed of MCAs from the Bunyore sub-tribe who were elected on ODM tickets, while the four UDF MCAs are from the Tiriki sub-tribe, to which Abdalla belongs.

APPROVE OR NOT

The committee on appointments recommended the removal of Abdalla after vetting her a week ago. The position Abdalla left will be advertised afresh, a move that has sparked resistance amongst members of the house.

MCA Benson Ombima who defended Abdalla questioned why she was vetted by the committee on appointments in the first place and then the report wants the position to be advertised.

“The understanding is that when someone is vetted, you either approve them or not. Our committees are exhibiting ignorance in doing some things,” Ombima told The Standard.

But those opposed to her, mainly from the Musalia Mudavadi-controlled UDF party, did not want to hear of it.

Part of the report that was tabled read that Abdalla was unfit to continue holding the office and that she had not been competitively sourced as envisaged in the constitution and called for the due process to be followed.

MAJORITY LEADER

Andrew Ahuga, the Majority leader in the assembly and one of those leading the onslaught against Abdalla, argued that the secretary’s position was better off given to someone else.

“This position must be advertised to allow for competitive sourcing. We have other people in the county who can be considered for the position,” Mr Ahuga said.

He added that under Abdalla, the county had recorded a number of issues touching on integrity.

The proceedings were also attended by members of the Tiriki community, accompanied by Tiriki elders dressed in skins.

Hamisi MP Charles Gimose, who attended the proceedings, showed signs of disappointment although he turned down requests by journalists for interview, saying he could not comment on county matters.

The presence of a large number of members of the public prompted the Administration Police to patrol the assembly throughout the session.

The UDF Vihiga branch secretary general and nominated MCA Nathan Kamidi and Shiru ward representative Nixon Butiya pleaded with fellow party members to approve Abdalla for the position to no avail.

 “Competitive sourcing is not about advertising the position. Linnet (Abdalla) was competitively sourced by the Transition Authority through the national public service board,” Mr Butiya said.

He also wondered why the committee on appointments vetted Abdalla yet it questioned the process that led to her appointment.

Claims of corruption were rife after the vetting process with several night meetings allegedly held.

The public had carried placards in support of Abdalla.

Governor Moses Akaranga had given women plum positions in the county, but the MCAs seem determined to wipe them out one by one,over claims that they are under-performing.

The Standard established that soon after they voted Abdalla out, the UDF MCAs held a celebration party at a Kisumu hotel later that evening.