Oparanya picks Kingi to reconcile Samboja, ward reps

The Council of Governors (CoG) has moved to the end tussle between Taita Taveta Governor and Members of the County Assembly. 

Council chairman Wycliffe Oparanya has picked Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi (pictured) to spearhead the mediation talks between governor Granton Samboja and MCAS.

The county assembly leadership confirmed yesterday that Oparanya had picked Kingi to mediate the dispute that has badly affected service delivery and implementation of projects in the region.

Speaking to The Standard after a closed-door meeting (Kamkunji) at the assembly chambers, Deputy Speaker Chrispus Tondoo and assembly Majority Leader Jason Tuja revealed that the CoGs was now using Kingi to mediate the budget impasse.

They said using outsiders to find a lasting solution to the problem had not yielded much fruits.

“The Kakamega governor has selected his Kilifi counterpart to mediate the talks. He (Oparanya) wants to look for homegrown solutions to end the standoff,” disclosed Mr Tuja.

The selection of Mr Kingi to negotiate the impasse comes at a time when the two arms of the government had been holding high profile meetings with national leaders in Nairobi.

Samboja who had ruled out negotiation with the MCAs met President Uhuru Kenyatta, opposition leaders Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi to win support to dissolve the county. The governor met Raila twice.

Last week, the assembly leadership also met Raila and Oparanya to find truce over the matter. The MCAs also met the Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen, a close ally to Deputy President William Ruto.

Today the leadership would meet the ODM party leader to conclude the matter.

Earlier, the assembly leadership claimed they were forced to use Oparanya to access the opposition leader.