Members of public hold Siaya County Assembly hostage

Siaya County Speaker George Okode Photo:Courtesy

Members of the public in Siaya County held an assembly hostage as Members of County Assembly (MCAs) debated on a report of the committee on appointment. 
 

The protesters who started their demonstrations in the morning intensified the protests in the evening during the proceedings that began late.
 

They carried placards demanding that the assembly should approve all the nominees in the list for efficient service delivery. 
 

They also chanted slogan songs claiming that some MCAs had betrayed the electorates.
At around 7 pm they started throwing stones within the assembly premises with aim of destructing the ongoing proceedings. 

The protestors later surrounded the building making it hard for the assembly staff who had worked late to leave. 
 

The agitated speaker George Okode took an issue with the protesters chanting the names of MCAs whom he claimed could be their targets. 
 

The speaker questioned if there were any MCAs who had leaked information to the members of the public to prompt their reaction.
 

"I am disappointed this evening. The reactions of the protestors is a clear indication that some of our members leaked information putting the lives of all of us in danger. Today it is us, in the appointment committee and tomorrow it is you, so before you do some of these things, think twice, " Mr Okode told the MCAs. 
 

It took the help of police officers to disperse the protests and evacuate the MCAs, Assembly staff and journalists who were all attending the proceedings. 
 

However the assembly adopted the report rejecting nine nominees claiming their nomination did not respect the County government Act. 
 

The committee on appointment declared the nine nominees null and void. The appointment committee further told the governor Cornell Rasanga to nominate the members of Executive with accordance to the law. 
 

The committee however recommended one of the nominees Mary Omondi who was proposed for Education docket be appointed but wait for the appointments of the other nominees. 
According to Member of county Assembly (MCA) Sylvester Madialo (Usonga ward) Ms Omondi was the only one whose academic qualifications marched the portfolio she nominated for.
 

The other nominees :Nicholas Kut (Agriculture ),Dismas Wakla (),Jaoko Oburu (Tourism, sports and culture), George Amenya (Public works and roads), Dorothy Owino (Health), George Rubik (Water and Irrigation), Elizabeth Odhiambo (Enterprise) Adrian Ouma (Physical planning) and Joseph Ogutu (Finance). 
 

MCA Madialo who is a member of the committee told the house that they had known problems or issues with the nominees but asked the governor to nominate his Executive to the right portfolios that match their academic qualifications. 
 

In a report on the nomination list the committee told the governor that they had rejected the nominees list without know penalties. 
 

The report also stated that they did not reject the nominees because of integrity issues.