MCA challenges Governor Martin Wambora to make state of county address

A member of Embu County Assembly has challenged Governor Martin Wambora to make a State-of-the-County address to enumerate his administration's achievements, challenges and plans for the county.

Runyenjes Central MCA Steve Simba urged the Governor to address the County Assembly just like President Uhuru Kenyatta does at the National Assembly in his State-of-the-Nation addresses.

Simba proposed that an annual State-of-the-County address be incorporated into the County Government's calendar as a matter of priority.

He said such an address was not a boardroom affair and ought to be made at the Assembly, before all MCAs and members of the public.

He said that as the head of the County Executive, the law required the Governor to address the Assembly at least once a year.

"This would give MCAs an opportunity to debate on his address to the county," he said.

He called on the Governor to adopt a leadership style that embraced openness and prompt information sharing with the electorate.

He said that the County Assembly was also at pains to evaluate the achievements of Governor Wambora's administration as there were no details of what was being implemented under every subsequent budget.

He said no committee had obtained satisfactory answers to statements sought by MCAs on the running of the County Government since the advent of devolution.

Meanwhile, some MCAs want CECs to appear before the County Assembly to answer to queries on the performance of their ministries.

Led by Majority Leader Andrew Musakwa, the MCAs expressed dissatisfaction with the way statements sought on the floor of the House are responded to by the CECs members.

They demanded that the Assembly makes provisions to allow the senior county officials to appear for grilling at the County Assembly legislative chambers.

He lamented that the County Assembly could no longer afford to pass Motions and Bills and make budgetary allocations which were never implemented.

The MCAs were speaking when Speaker Kariuki Mate gave them an opportunity to offer solutions to a noted inadequacy of answers from the County Executive. He said some had given one sentence answers to statements sought by MCAs.