Speakers forum blames Murkomen for current stalemate with SRC

By BRYAN TUMWA

Kipchumba Murkomen

County Speakers Forum Chairman Abdi Nuh has accused Senate Committee on Devolution Chairman Kipchumba Murkomen (pictured) of allegedly stalling the progress towards a solution to their salaries debacle with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

Dr Nuh and a section of county assembly members from Western Kenya castigated Mr Murkomen for allegedly frustrating devolution by abetting the stalemate between the salaries team and assembly members.

Nuh accused the senator of using divide and rule tactics by reaching out to individual members of the executive committee mandated to engage the SRC on behalf of county representatives with the aim of causing divisions among them.

“As a member tasked to chair such a sensitive committee, he should not be seen to destroy the leadership of assemblies in a manner aimed at injuring the joint bargaining agreement with the commission,” he said.

legal recess

He insisted that county assemblies were on a legal recess during which time, they were constructively seeking for a solution to the salaries stalemate.

But in a quick rejoinder, Murkomen rubbished the claims, terming them as diversionary.

The committee chairman, said he, or the other committee members, were only mediators trying to help the two bodies reach a consensus over the pay dispute, as mandated of them by law.

“We are not negotiators or an interested party to the stalemate. Our interest is only to ensure a quick resolution of the dispute, which is legally our mandate,” said Murkomen.

The senator revealed that another group of county assemblies leadership, mainly consisting leaders of majority and minority had approached his committee accusing Nuh’s group of exploiting the dispute for their selfish gain.

“We met Dr Nuh’s group but we have also received complaints from assembly leaders who are now accusing the Speakers Forum of riding on their complaints to further their interests,” he revealed.