Coast governors agonise as ward representatives wield impeachment sword

By PATRICK BEJA

Governors in Coast are having sleepless nights as they grapple with threats from County Assembly members (MCAs) and other forces.

As they seek political survival, the county chiefs have been held at ransom by the MCAs who use impeachment as their main weapon.

The governors have held several meetings to forestall their removal.  The impeachment sword has been delicately dangling over the head of Taita Taveta Governor John Mruttu for a few months now.

He virtually lives under the shadow of impeachment but has survived through holding frequent meetings with MCAs.

The latest threat of impeachment came through a Motion sponsored by Bura MCA Godwin Kilele, which was thrown out by Speaker Meshack Maganga on grounds it was not filed unprocedurally.

Kilele’s impeachment grounds included alleged misuse of funds by the executive, slow pace of development and alleged favouritism in hiring staff. Mruttu had earlier faced hostility at the assembly over the appointment of members of the executive, which saw some MCAs, and civil society groups go to court.

Way out

It now appears the governor has found a formula of cooling down the MCAs through frequent meetings and consultation. A local businessman is being credited with marshalling the MCAs to meetings that have managed bring down their hostility against the governor. “We have had fruitful discussions with the MCAs and resolved to work together for the benefit of the county,” Mruttu said.

Sources indicated tribal politics was also at play given that Mr Mruttu comes from the minority Taveta community while Taita community dominates the county. And as governors wade through the impeachment wave, political analysts in the region have cautioned MCAs against misusing their powers. “They are supposed to offer checks and balance in county governments and not undermining service delivery by putting county chiefs on panic mode,” said local leader Dr Hassan Mwakimako.

Another politician Maimuna Mwidau separately warned MCAs could undermine devolution through the impeachments over issues that could be resolved with governors.

“The impeachment of Embu government Martin Wambora set a bad precedent and governors in the country are now vulnerable,” she said.

In Tana River, Governor Hussein Dado says he has managed to resolve his differences with the county assembly, which he blames on initial misinterpretation of mandate.

“We have consulted and agreed that the assembly would discharge its oversight mandate and we have now established cordial relations. There was politics that drove a wedge between us previously but that is behind us,” he says.

A resident had earlier gone to court and obtained orders nullifying the entire county cabinet over claims it had left out minority groups.

Dado is happy the Executive has since obtained stay orders that returned them to office as the battle continues in court.

In the landmark ruling, Justice Christine Meoli declared three tribes Orma, Wardei and Pokomo dominated Dado’s government and only two women out of nine were appointed to the county executive committee.

Earlier, Dado had survived an assault on his administration by hostile MCAs who threatened to impeach him over a series of allegations.

It was said he was at loggerheads with his deputy, but he also blamed his woes on some local MPs.

Although he ironed out his differences with the MCAs, Tana River remains divided because of the volatile and ever-changing ethnic alliances.

Early this week, signs of a return to tribal war emerged, sparking an exodus from some areas like Kilelengwani, which witnessed gruesome killings in the last conflict between Orma and Pokomo.

In Lamu, there was a new threat to impeach Governor Issa Timamy over alleged misuse of more than Sh10 million although the executive maintain the matter has not been formally communicated to them.

Deputy governor Eric Mugo confirmed there was talk about impeachment but noted that the issue had not been reported to the executive.

“We are aware of the formation of the ad hoc committee but we have not received a formal report about the alleged misuse of funds. We are ready to respond to the allegations once a formal complaint is lodged,” Mugo said. Lamu County Assembly has formed an ad hoc committee headed by Kiunga MCA Omar Lali to investigate the alleged misappropriation even as some sources dismissed it as renewed bad blood between the county assembly and the governor.

Relative peace

Timamy has enjoyed relative peace since late last year when he was reinstated as governor by the court of appeal after he held reconciliation meetings with MCAs.

Lamu County Minority Leader Paul Kimani defended the ad hoc committee saying MCAs were simply discharging their oversight mandate. “We are investigating the misappropriation of funds and action will follow after our findings,” Kimani said.

Lamu West MP Julius Ndegwa said there has been dialogue between the governor and local leaders since the court returned him to office although MCAs were investigating the alleged misuse of funds.

“When the governor was reinstated by the court and a by-election was cancelled leaders made efforts to reconcile although there are still issues,” Ndegwa explained. 

Timamy and MCAs had earlier differed over the appointment of his executive members. In Mombasa, the Governor Hassan Ali Joho has ensured a firm grip on the 45 MCAs and in turn enjoys their unwavering support. When they raised accountability issues with his executive member for Finance Walid Khalid recently, Joho moved in to calm down the MCAs and put the matter to rest.

Last week, Joho confirmed his grip on the Mombasa County Assembly when he mobilised them to defend him against accusations of acquiring a fake degree certificate from Uganda during a special sitting of MCAs addressed by Mombasa Senator Mr Hassan Omar Hassan.

However, it has emerged that some MPs in Mombasa County no longer see eye to eye with the governor who is clinging to MCAs for much-needed comfort.

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi has also developed a strong bond with the 35 MCAs to ward off any impeachment threat although he is reported to have sour relationship with most of the seven MPs.

The MCAs have been pampered with Sh10 million for bursary and another Sh10 million per ward for development as well as Sh3 million for mortgage and Sh2 million-car loan to cement the bond. In Kwale, Governor Salim Mvurya is reported to be enjoying a new lease of life after being elected vice chairman of the council of governors recently.

Mr Mvurya has previously struggled to save his public service board from being removed from office following reports of irregular hiring and allegations of outright corruption.

Mvurya has publicly differed with Lunga Lunga MP Khatib Mwasheteni who had expressed interest to contest the gubernatorial seat in 2017.

­— Additional reporting by Joseph Masha