Ward reps fault Governor Samboja over sacking of minister

Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja and Finance Executive Vincent Masawi when they appeared before the Senate Public Accounts and Investment Committee last week. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Members of the county assembly have faulted Governor Granton Samboja over his decision to sack Finance and Planning Executive Vincent Masawi.

The governor sacked Dr Masawi as the county assembly debated on a special motion to impeach him. The motion is sponsored by Majority Leader Jason Tuja.

“As far as we are concerned we have not received any communication from the governor sacking the Finance executive. We will debate the impeachment motion to its conclusion,” ruled Speaker Meshack Maganga while presiding over the special sitting in Wundanyi town yesterday.

Legislative role

“We have our part to play as an assembly. We will continue playing our oversight and legislative roles well,” added Mr Maganga.

Mr Tuja and Minority Leader Ronald Sagurani accused the governor of hurriedly sacking Masawi without waiting for the outcome of the impeachment motion against him.

“The governor should have waited for the outcome of the impeachment motion which would have helped him to take an informed decision. What the government did is wrong and unprocedural,” said Mr Sagurani.

“Why sack the CEC in Nairobi. We have just read the governor's decision in the newspapers and in social media,” said Tuja.

The Werugha Ward MCA criticised the manner used to fire the minister.

Tuja claimed County Directorate of Communications Denis Onsarigo usurped the role of the County Secretary while announcing the sacking.

“The communications officer is a junior staff who should not have announced the sacking of the CEC. The sacking should have been done by the County Secretary who is the head of the county government staff and not the communications officer,” he stated.

At the same time, Tuja said the county assembly would sponsor motions to impeach more CECs who are inept.

“We are targeting six CECs who have failed to effectively serve to the expectations of the residents,” he told the speaker yesterday.

“We will sharpen our oversight roles, six CECs are on our radar. We will stand firm to protect the interests of the community,” added Tuja who has so far collected 25 signatures in support of the impeachment motion.

Sagurani noted the governor acted as if he had prior information about the impeachment motion. “The governor must follow the House resolutions,” the Mahoo Ward Rep told the speaker.

Maganga approved the motion to be debated. “The motion has met the required threshold and will be debated to its conclusion despite the alleged firing of the CEC,” the speaker ruled.

He said a special select committee would be formed to investigate the highlighted allegations in the motion within seven days.

“Five MCAs will be selected to investigate the allegations against the CEC. The committee will table its report to the house within 10 days,” Maganga ruled.

Samboja sacked Dr Masawi without giving reasons .

Had retained

The governor had retained Dr Masawi and County Chief Officer for Education and Libraries, Philomena Kirote, who served during the former John Mruttu’s administration in his executive.

The sacking came as a surprise as the CEC had accompanied the governor during a grilling session by Senate Committee for Public Accounts Committee in Nairobi last Thursday.