Bungoma assembly rejects Aukot's Punguza Mzigo

The Bungoma County Assembly has joined the growing list of those that have rejected the Punguza Mizigo Bill.

Last week, the MCAs unanimously rejected the Bill after it was presented in the House for the Second Reading.

Earlier, the committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, headed by Peter Sindani, recommended its rejection.

While rejecting the Bill, MCAs said it interfered with quality political representation by proposing a reduction in the number of constituencies.

They also faulted the proponents of the Bill for doing away with the gains achieved in ensuring there was gender balance in political representation. 

The MCAs said it was wrong for the Bill to propose that the nomination of women to Parliament be stopped.

They further argued that if the number of MPs was reduced, those who would miss out on parliamentary seats would go for ward representation. 

At the same time, the MCAs voted to save Water and Environment Executive Renson Makheti from impeachment.

The ward representatives in support of the impeachment garnered 19 votes, losing by just one vote in their bid to force the assembly to launch Mr Makheti’s impeachment process. 

Maketi had been accused of gross violation of the Constitution, failing to implement projects in his department and lack of public participation in the projects he was carrying out. The impeachment Motion was sponsored by Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Juma