Migori Speaker impeached over gross misconduct, theft claims

 

Migori County Assembly Speaker Boaz Okoth. [Caleb Kingwara, Standard]

Migori CAs have impeached county assembly Speaker Boaz Okoth over allegations of gross misconduct.

Mr Okoth was accused of breaking into the finance office and stealing files.

The angry MCAs passed the Motion to kick the Speaker out after they accused him of holding the county assembly captive by his actions.

They said Okoth had made it difficult for them to perform their oversight role. 

The MCAs accused the speaker of fighting members opposed him.

“Even though we have just a few months left before the next election, we are still determined to do what it takes to ensure sanity in the county assembly,” said West Kanyamkago MCA Peter Mijungu.

At the same time, the MCAs accused Okoth of delaying their salaries. They also accused him of high-handedness and trying to change assembly committees without following established procedures.

“We need to bring sanity in this county assembly. That is why we are doing a clean-up. Members are suffering. We even owe hotels. The Speaker has demeaned MCAs for far too long,” South Sakwa MCA Ken Ngoro said.

Ngoro said they had resolved not to entertain any form of impunity at the assembly.

A total of 46 MCAs turned up during the session while 11 skipped. Two abstained from voting, two voted No as 42 voted in support of the impeachment.

Bukira Central MCA Mathews Chacha, who has been the Deputy Speaker, will now act as Speaker.

The Motion was tabled by Muhuru Bay MCA Hevron Maira, who accused Okoth of gross misconduct and abuse of office.

Okoth was charged on February 3 at the High Court in Migori, alongside seven others, for breaking into the office of principal finance officer Evans Ogutu.

Threw their weight

However, Kaler MCA Thomas Akungo and Kachieng’s Brian Osodo threw their weight behind the Speaker, saying yjsy he was not given an opportunity to defend himself. He had also not pleaded guilty to the charges in court.

When the Speaker was arraigned in court alongside the seven co-accused, he denied charges of breaking into assembly finance offices and stealing three computers, two CPUs, a monitor and some files.

The eight had appeared before Chief Magistrate Dickson Onyango after police arrested them at the assembly premises.

Okoth was charged alongside Philip Ochieng’, Boniface Otieno, Peter Okinyi, John Harun, Vincent Otieno, Jackline Odira and Clifford Ochieng’.

Each was later released on a Sh200,000 bond. The Speaker is also facing corruption-related charges. He was arraigned before Kisumu Chief Magistrate Peter Gesore on December 2 last year over the claims.