Busia MCAs on go slow over unpaid dues

Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong. [Standard]

Members of the County Assembly's Budget and Appropriation Committee (BAC) have suspended discussions on Supplementary Budget until they are paid their accrued sitting allowances and per diems.

The Sh9.1 billion 2019/2020 Supplementary Budget was tabled in the assembly last Thursday by committee chairman Linus Asiba (Matayos South).

He, however, wrote to County Assembly Clerk Allan Mabuka on Sunday notifying him that his colleagues were not keen on discussing anything touching on the tabled Supplementary Budget until they are paid all their dues.

The message was also copied to Speaker Bernard Wamalwa and County Executive Committee Member for Finance Phaustine Barasa.

“Good morning clerk, in good faith BAC has temporarily suspended activities on Supplementary Budget in order to give you time to sort out their grievances,” read the notice in part.

“The grievances include non-payment of their missed sitting allowances and non-payment of per diems both at the assembly and executive,” it read further.

BAC members were supposed to scrutinise and later table the report in the assembly after two weeks.

A member of the committee John Obwogo (Nangina) confirmed that their dues have accrued for over 30 days.

“We have not been paid and they still want us to go to Kisumu to look into the Supplementary Budget. Where do they want us to stay while there?” posed Obwogo. 

Both the clerk and Ms Barasa were unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile, Leader of Majority Laban Mukhwana (Bukhayo East) and Majority Chief Whip Erick Kaibe (Kingandole) have insisted they still hold their key positions in the assembly.

Last week, 19 of the 27 elected ODM ward representatives ‘suspended’ Mr Mukhwana and Mr Kaibe for allegedly not pushing for their interests and propagating the affairs of the Orange party.

Kaibe termed the purported suspension as null and void and observed that he will not accept to be blackmailed.

According to him, it is indicated nowhere in the Standing Orders of the assembly that Majority Chief Whip can be suspended.

“MCAs cannot purport to suspend me because it is the leadership of the NASA that settled on me to be the chief whip of the majority,” said Kaibe.

He continued: ”For the MCAs to suspend the leader of majority, I have to communicate to the Speaker who will then notify the members and proceed with censuring process but this process was not followed.”

Mukhwana said yesterday that he was still the majority leader in the assembly as due process was not followed. 

“It is not the right time for members to engage in sideshows but should focus on things that benefit the public by rolling out development,” said Mukhwana. 

County ODM chairman Patrick Obongoya maintained that Mukhwana and Kaibe are suspended and should wait for communication from MCAs after deliberation. 

“The two have not been discharging their mandates to the expectations of the party that sponsored them to the assembly,” said Mr Obongoya.