Governor Paul Chepkwony loses grip of County assembly

Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso (left) flanked by Kericho governor Paul Chepkwony (right) in an earlier event. [Photo Willis Awandu/ Standard]

Kericho Governor Paul Chepkwony is embroiled in a row with MCAs over the county's Sh7.18 billion budget. The law makers have refused to approve Sh224 million meant to fund the governor’s pet projects. 

The governor had sought Sh83 million budget for funding the Sh2-trillion compensation suit against the British government for historical injustices against members of the Kipsigis and the Talai clan during the colonial period.

Won't back down

Mr Chepkwony had also sought Sh141 million for the equipping of an ophthalmology centre, a specialised eye treatment facility, which the county seeks to establish in conjunction with Egypt’s Alexandria University.

The governor is not ready to back down, arguing that the assembly does not have any right to alter more than one per cent of any item in the budget. 

“The assembly is not also allowed to remove any item on the budget or add any other item,” said the Governor. 

He said the assembly did not have the leeway to knock out development funds for an ongoing project. 

“When the assembly follows the law, I have no alternative but to sign the budget into law, but if the law is breached, I return it there,” he said. 

On Wednesday the governor suffered a blow after 43 of the 47 MCAs voted against his memorandum objecting to the Kericho County Budget 2018/2019 financial year.

Paul Chirchir, the Kapsoit MCAs and one of Chepkwony’s harshest critics at the assembly, argued that the governor's memorandum was “illegal and defective” as it quoted nonexistent and wrong sections of the law. 

Public participation

“The governor further alleged that we failed to undertake public participation, yet records of the same are available. This is not only a proof of insincerity on the side of the governor but irresponsibility and total disregard to the plight of the electorate,” he said.

Erick Bett, the Kipchebor MCA, said he voted against the budget because a the amount allocated garbage collection, roads and drainage system challenges within Kericho town was meagre.

“Eleven strategic intervention projects totaling Sh265 million in the budget did not consider even a single project in Kericho town to uplift the face of the town or its outskirts,” said the MCA, popularly known as Watchman.

On principle

Dominic Rono, the Speaker of the County Assembly, said the House's disagreement with the governor was on principle. 

“The County Assembly plays its oversight and legislative role to the fullest. Therefore, whenever we disagree, the governor should bear with us because it is based on principle and not because of small issues,” he said.

Budget and Appropriation Committee Chairman Albert Kipkoech explained that resource allocation had been directed to programmes that would contribute to strategic objectives as firmed up in the strategic paper 2018.

700 youth employed

The appropriation bill factored in employment of about 700 youth currently undertaking training at Chebwagan, increase of allocation to the roads department and enhanced allocation to the health department for improvement of facilities and construction of health centers in all the 30 wards.

The Governor found himself in a similar political storm in his previous term, when he faced an impeachment attempt on May 14, 2014. The Senate rescued him two months later. 

On December 29, last year the governor drew battle lines with the MCAs after the assembly slashed, by Sh25 million, the Sh100 million he required for upgrading the Kerenga airstrip. 

The governor shot a terse memorandum to the assembly and the battle over the amount led to one of the darkest moments in the Assembly’s history after MCAs grabbed the mace and hurled it out of the window.

Though the governor finally won round one of the battle with the MCAs after the amount was reinstated in the supplementary budget, the Kerenga airstrip project is currently at the centre of another controversy. 

Nelson Koech, the Belgut MP, has raised the red flag over the manner the Sh100-million tender for the airstrip upgrade was done by Chepkwony’s administration. 

Letter to EACC

The legislator, in whose constituency Kerenga airstrip lies, has written to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the alleged skewed tendering process. 

“Kindly look into the tendering process of the rehabilitation of Kerenga airstrip and, in particular, the alteration for eligible bidders to have National Construction Authority (NCA) 2 to NCA 3 qualifications,” reads part of the letter.

Mr Koech said he had reason to believe the alterations were deliberate and meant to favour certain interests.