Trusted Society of Human Rights Alliance wants Narok County Governor to resign

By Kipchumba Kemei

NAROK, KENYA: A human rights group wants the Narok County Governor Samuel Kuntai to vacate his position because of alleged abuse of office.

It has consequently started the process of removing him through collection of over 200, 000 signatures from voters among other legal avenues.

Trusted Society of Human Rights Alliance officials claimed at a news conference in Narok that the governor was unfit to hold the position because he had in the past been engaged in corrupt practices and nepotism in the recruitment of County staff.

“Before the General Election, some parties moved to court challenging his suitability for the position but all corruption watch dogs and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission allowed him to contest without waiting for the verdict to be delivered. Shortly after assuming office, he started hiring his friends, relatives and cronies to various positions in the county government,” said the body chairman Elijah Sikona.

The group added: “The governor suffers from a crisis of confidence and is a victim of conflict of interest. Companies that are associated with him are barred from doing business with the county government.”

The companies which he is said be associated with have interests in Maasai Mara and the tourism industry which is the main revenue earner for the County.

In the 2013-2014 financial years, 98 per cent will be funded by revenue from the Mara, the released budget projection indicates.

According to the activists the governor and his brother who is also a member of the Narok county assembly are majority shareholders of a company that collects park entry fees on behalf of Transmara county council and another one that manages the park.

The group has already moved to court to challenge the governor suitability because of his involvement in the companies and want the court to compel the company that manages the park to make the report on its audited account since 2001 when it started operations public.

Speaking during the launch to collect signatures to impeach the governor on Saturday, the activist claimed that the county accounts were empty and linked it to graft that was being perpetuated by Kuntai and his associates.

Since it started its operations, the county government has been unable to meet its statutory obligations because of financial hemorrhage, they further charged in the event that had by yesterday evening collected more than 15, 000 signatures.

But the embattled official dismissed the claims and asked his opponents to abandon their plans to dislodge him from office.

“All the allegations are false. They are meant to tarnish my reputation and my mission to discharge services to the residents of the county,” he said.