Petitioner wants Senate to ban naming of projects after governor, MCAs

Activist Laban Omusundi. [File, Standard]

A petition seeking to stop governors and MCAs from naming public projects after themselves has been filed at the Senate.

Laban Omusundi, a civil rights activist, wants the Senate to amend the County Government Act 2012 and insert a clause that restrains Governors and MCAs from using their names or images on public funded projects.

Omusundi wants the Senate to ensure that all public funded projects are branded as 'Courtesy of Taxpayers of Kenya.'

"The Senate should come up with regulations that will ensure all county government vehicles are branded with the national flag colours to ensure they are easily identified and not misused," he says.

The activist submits that all county projects are funded by taxpayers and usage of personal names or portraits is unlawful.

Omusundi notes with concern that at least 90 percent of all county-funded projects across the 47 counties are decorated with portraits, images, and names of governors and MCAs.

"The images and names make it seem as if the projects were funded by themselves and not the taxpayers," he submits.

He says that the names and images are always placed on billboards, banners, posters, and signposts among others.

Omusundi notes that the projects range from dispensaries, classrooms, bridges, toilets, boreholes, and government offices among others.

"The political elites in the counties have been allowed to massage their respective political egos and use spaces of public funded projects to advertise and brand themselves for personal political course without checks and balances," he says.

He argues that Article 231 of the Constitution disallows portraits of individuals on the Kenyan currency and the same should extend to public funded projects.

Omusundi says history shows that kings used their respective portraits in order to be seen as gods and superior, but chapter 6 of the Constitution defines Kenyan leaders as selfless servants.

"It is time to reject leaders' self-promotion in using taxpayers' money to brand political elites portraits, images or names to perpetuate personal political egos," he says.

Omusundi says that vehicles allocated to the counties are used by leaders during political campaigns.

He notes that Article 75 of the Constitution provides that state officers should behave, whether in public or in official life, in a manner that does not compromise public interests in favour of their personal interests.

Omusundi avers that only the Senate, with its legislative organ, can address the concerns raised not only by himself but others.

The petition has been copied to the Council of Governors and the County Assembly Forum.