Omtatah: My oversight is lawful, not anti-development

Busia County Senator Okiya Omtatah [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

Busia County Senator Okiya Omtatah has dismissed claims by some county leaders that he is frustrating development, insisting that his criticism of the county government is grounded in law and aimed at safeguarding public resources.

Speaking in response to accusations from Governor Dr Paul Nyongesa Otuoma, his deputy Arthur Odera, and Teso South MP Mary Emaase, Omtatah said the county leadership had failed to deliver essential services to residents and was instead resorting to political propaganda to cover up poor performance.

The senator maintained that his role, as provided for in the Constitution and other statutes, is to exercise oversight over the use of public funds and ensure accountability in county governments.

He said attempts to paint him as an obstacle to development were misleading and meant to silence legitimate scrutiny.

“I was elected to protect the interests of the people of Busia. Oversight is not a favour to governors or county officials; it is a constitutional duty. If asking questions about how public money is spent is being anti-development, then we have a serious problem as a country,” he said.

Omtatah accused the county administration of failing to prioritise basic services such as healthcare, water, roads, and education, arguing that residents continued to suffer despite the county receiving billions of shillings in allocations from the national government.

“Today, the governor and his deputy have been spending their time claiming that I have opposed development in this county. I will tell them that I have not opposed development that abides by the law. What you are saying is that you will bring development against the law, and I won’t allow it to happen,” said Omtatah.

He claimed that instead of addressing these gaps, the county leadership had chosen to personalise accountability issues and mobilise political attacks against him.

The senator also defended his decision to challenge some county projects in court, saying legal action was a last resort when questions raised through other channels were ignored.

“For example, the Amoni market is government land. Why do they want to re-buy it again, when it is already government land? Otuoma and your people, get ready. The court found you guilty, and on May 2, you are required to appear in court. I am strongest when I fight alone,” said Omtatah.

He noted that courts remained an important avenue for enforcing the rule of law and preventing the misuse of public resources.

Omtatah further cautioned leaders against portraying accountability as a personal war, saying that development anchored in transparency and legality cannot be sustainable.

He urged county officials to embrace scrutiny as a tool for improving service delivery rather than viewing it as hostility.

His remarks come amid growing political tension in Busia, with county leaders accusing him of stalling projects through litigation and public criticism.

Governor Otuoma and his allies have previously argued that constant court cases and objections discourage investors and slow down the implementation of development programmes.

“These things of always opposing everything we won’t allow, because we have a forum in the Senate where you can take the issue, but you have pretended to know audit work more than the Auditor-General,” said Otuoma.