Raila cautions Cord leaders over lavish spending

BY PATRICK BEJA

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has cautioned governors against extravagance.

Raila who was accompanied by former Vice President Kalonzo, Musyoka and Senator Moses Wetangula advised the leaders to also shun corruption in order to improve the chances of Cord coalition gaining power in 2017.

He made the remarks at the Serena Beach Hotel during  a leaders’ retreat, which provided them an opportunity to reflect on the March 4 loss and plan for the next contest.

“You should not spend on luxury accommodation or vehicles but focus on service delivery so that counties by Cord leaders can emerge best performers,” Raila said.

The former PM advised governors who own homes to operate from there instead of using public funds to build new residences to stem lavish spending. A governor from Nyanza has been criticised for planning to use Sh75 million to renovate his house. Many other governors from the region have been spending millions on hotel accommodation instead of operating from their homes.

Raila said Cord leaders would meet frequently to show the world that they are a united happy family because ‘victory is on our side’.

County governors have been criticised for budgeting for a lavish lifestyle.

Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma wants to spend Sh72 million to buy 12 Toyota Prados and another Sh15 million for operation costs.

Sharp criticism

Kitui Governor Julius Malombe has come under sharp criticism for setting aside Sh71 million to buy limousines for his ten-member cabinet. This is out of the Sh6 billion budget approved by the County Assembly.

In Mombasa County Governor, Hassan Ali Joho has drawn a Sh33.9 billion budget that factors Sh465,500,000 for motor vehicles, Sh61 million for office rent and hired premises and facilities for county  representatives  and Sh81 million for travel and overnight allowances.

The allocations have been made even as the county government grapples with a Sh3 billion debt inherited from the defunct Mombasa municipal council and the headache of 2650 workers on strike for non-payment of salaries.

On the other hand, Uasin Gishu Governor Mr Jack Mandago of Jubilee coalition has turned down Sh650 million budget allocation to build him a posh office citing more pressing needs. He will continue operating from the former mayor’s office. He has also rejected an offer to build him a luxury home to ensure prudent spending.

Kalonzo urged the governors and senators to vehemently defend devolution.

“We should all champion devolution by ensuring funding is increased from 15 to 40 per cent of the national budget,” Kalonzo said.

The forum backed a motion by Senator James Orengo to have all debts inherited from defunct local authorities taken over by National Government.

Cord would sponsor a motion seeking an amendment to the Fourth Schedule on transfer of functions by the National Government to the counties so that the latter does not give preferred county governments good deals at the expense of others.

“Jubilee has the numbers but Cord has the brains. We should not cry over what happened on March 4. We should plan for 2017,” Wetangula said.

Invoking a common Luhya saying, the Bungoma senator observed that a couple which loses their child does not mourn on the grave forever but go back to get another and move on with life.

Leader of the Minority in the National Assembly, Mr Francis Nyenze said Cord enjoyed geographic spread and controls areas with high economic potential. 

He noted that Cord controls Nairobi which generates most revenue for the country, Mombasa has Kenya’s principal seaport, Kitui has coal, and Kisumu has potential for trade with the East African Community while Kwale and Turkana are endowed with titanium and oil respectively.

Principal seaport

“We have counties with economic potential and can be a shining examples in the country if managed well,” Nyenze told the governors and senators.

Cord whip in the National Assembly Mr Gideon Mung’aro said the coalition has sent a strong message when its MPs backed the teachers’ strike while Jubilee colleagues supported laptops.

The Cord principals, governors and senators resolved to form a forum of senators and governors to meet quarterly to foster unity and common objectives of the coalition.

“We governors and senators elected and nominated on the platform of ensuring full implementation of devolution, shall support every effort by our leadership to ensure full implementation of devolution,” said the statement.

The leaders said they would support the proposed national referendum on amendments to the Constitution to safeguard the Senate and also increase the threshold of revenue allocation to the counties.

Insecurity

They opposed a Government move to amend the National Service Act so as to transfer powers of the Police Service Commission to the Inspector General of Police. They claimed the Inspector General of Police was being used by government to frustrate reforms in the police service by fighting the Johnstone Kavuludi commission.

“We are opposed to the move by the government to amend the National Police Service Act so as to unconstitutionally transfer powers of the Police Service Commission to the Inspector General of Police,” the Cord leaders said in a statement.

At the same time, the coalition expressed concern over escalating insecurity across the country and condemned government inaction.

 “We are disturbed by insecurity, particularly in Northern Kenya. We find it unacceptable that lives are lost every day in Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Bungoma and Busia and all the government does is to issue warnings of tough action from the safety of their offices in Nairobi while the Inspector General demands more power,” said the statement read by Kisumu Senator Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o.

Mr Raila, Mr Kalonzo and Mr Wetangula listened as Prof Nyong’o presented the joint statement and walked away.

The Cord leadership demanded that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) immediately publishes the full results of March 4 General Election to ensure accountability and transparency.

“Our fear is doctored figures have failed to add up at the IEBC and the commission may be trying to do more doctoring before it can face Kenyans,” they said.

The leaders demanded an end to the insecurity that is keeping Kenyans indoors and preventing them from pursuing their economic and social dreams. They said move by the Government and the recent actions of the IG in transferring police commanders were contrary to Section 246 of the Constitution which provides that “the commission shall recruit and appoint persons to hold or act in offices in the service, confirm appointments, and determine promotions and transfers within the National Police Service.