Kenya's Most Authoritative Political Newspaper

Citizen Weekly

Sunday 10 May 2015

Nyamira county assembly accounts on the red

A row is brewing between Nyamira county assembly and county executive arm of the government over Sh36 million given by the Transitional Authority towards the renovation of the county assembly offices.
Members of the assembly led by speaker Joash Nyamoko, the leader of the minority Jackson Mogusu and the chairman of the house implementation committee  Peter Maroro  claimed that the funds have been misappropriated resulting to the stalling  of the project.
They said that the county assembly cannot function particularly in holding committee meetings because they have no offices or rooms to house them.
Following the financial crisis, the county has suspended its normal sittings for two weeks for lack of funds needed in transacting the county assembly’s activities.
The house committee leadership led by the county speaker Nyamoko said the assembly was in the red financially and therefore no any business can take place.
The assembly which was scheduled to resume its normal sittings was forced to call off the business of the house after it was brought to its attention that there were no writing materials, water and other requirements needed by members when deliberating their mandate.
Addressing reporters in the speaker’s office, the members accused the county government executive arm of being behind the assembly’s financial woes.
Nyamoko said that even the county assembly and its offices which were supposed to be completed last year are yet to be completed despite the Transitional Authority paying Sh36 million towards the project.
He questioned the whereabouts of the funds which he said if they were committed for the intended purpose, the assembly could have been completed by late last year.
The speaker said that it had also become extremely impossible for the entire house committees to discharge their duties of oversight due to lack of funds to facilitate their meetings and movements.
The leader of the minority Mogusu and Maroro said that there was a deliberate move by the county government to cripple the assembly financially so that it can get room to derail its oversight role on the executive.
Mogusu said that the reduction of the assembly’s budget from Sh580 million to Sh250 million was a clear indication that they wanted to cripple the powers of the assembly.
Maroro said that the move to have the county treasury manage and control the  county assembly finances has  created a fertile ground for the assembly’s funds messed up a move he said they could not succumb to any more .
It was also established that apart from the payment of salaries, the county assembly members and workers are owed thousands of shillings in terms of allowances.

No comments:

Post a Comment