Kisumu MCAs claim their lives in danger over petition before Senate

KISUMU, KENYA: Three members of County Assembly of Kisumu are now claiming their lives are in danger after they recently took petition to the Senate over the rot in Kisumu County.

The petition was tabled by Kisumu Senator Anyang Nyong'o and the three have been invited to the joint committees of Finance and Devolution.

"This noble action of endeavoring to carry out our responsibilities as per the dictates of the assembly has apparently turned out to be our poisoned chalice," read part of a statement sent to the Standard.

The MCAs claimed that they have constantly been receiving threats from quarters believed to be close to the county executive and the assembly leadership who are feeling threatened by the presented expose.

"The intolerance of the Kisumu County leadership has been so vehement that anybody who is perceived to be pointing fingers at the ills afflicting the county is branded an enemy," said Aggrey Ogosi who is ward representative for East Seme.

Ogosi claimed that actions to intimidate or to inflict actual injury has been so heightened that he has been accosted by unknown people at the gate of his residence but managed to escape by the grace of God.

He added that the moves have not only been reserved for him and his two counterparts Joseph Osano (Chemelil ward) and Elijah Omondi (Nyakach Central), but also to their friends and the people they relate to.

"I believe am fighting for the good of our residents so no amount of intimidation will stop me from my oversight role," said Ogosi

Last week the three were criticised by their counterparts who argued that taking a petition to the senate was a rushed decision by the three and that they can still perform that role to the executive as an assembly.

But this has been dismissed by the three claiming the house is compromised.

"Our assembly currently constituted cannot perform their oversight role because the house leadership have gone to bed with the executive. It is like sending someone to go oversight his wife," said Ogosi.

He added that many issues being investigated by various departmental committees have been dragging for long giving an example of alleged corruption in the refurbishment of Governor Jack Ranguma's office.

Ogosi claimed the report of the same being investigated by Public Accounts and public investments committees, been dragging for over one year and was only brought to the house the same day they took their petition that covers the alleged corruption, to the Senate.

Omondi questioned what the so called 'men in black' are doing for the county government, what their terms of reference are and from what vote are they being paid from.

"We are also putting the county government on notice that should anything untoward happen to any of us, the petitioners, we shall place it squarely at the feet of the County Executive," said Omondi.

The three MCAs will record statements with the police on Monday (today) following the threats they have received on their lives.