Garissa MCAs support senators on county cash law
Garissa County Assembly Deputy Speaker Abubakar Mohamed Shide. He supported the County Governments (Amendment) Act 2014 saying its enactment was a positive indicator that the government was ready to make devolution a success. PHOTO | ABDIMALIK HAJIR
What you need to know:
- The MCAs commended President Uhuru Kenyatta for signing the Act.
- They said the move was a positive indicator that the government was ready to make devolution a success.
- Mr Shide said by signing the law the President had demonstrated that the Jubilee government was committed to fight corruption, impunity and misuse of public resources.
- Mr Ahmed said that corrupt practices diverted national resources to vested interests at the expense of national development
Members of the Garissa County Assembly have Tuesday supported senators on the contentious County Governments (Amendment) Act 2014 saying that it was timely.
Led by the Deputy Speaker Abubakar Mohamed Shide, the MCAs commended President Uhuru Kenyatta for signing the Act saying the move was a positive indicator that the government was ready to make devolution a success.
The County Governments (Amendment) Act, which the President signed on Wednesday night, July 30, 2014 makes senators the chairmen of the newly created County Development Committees with governors becoming secretaries.
Mr Shide said by signing the law the President had demonstrated that the Jubilee government was committed to fight corruption, impunity and misuse of public resources.
“The law is therefore timely and requires support from all the governors and other stakeholders,” he told journalist at a Garissa hotel.
He was flanked by several members of the county assembly.
Fafi Ward representative Mustafa Ahmed said the Auditor General's special report had accused the governors of financial irregularities, shoddy dealings, unauthorised expenditure and lack of documentation on several large payments.
UNCONTROLLED EXPENDITURE
“These uncontrolled or unaccounted for expenditures will put the county governments in a critical debt situation exceeding their ability to pay the creditors or balance their books in the coming years. It is difficult to see how they can survive without a bail-out by the national government unless something is done now,” he said.
Mr Ahmed said that corrupt practices diverted national resources to vested interests at the expense of national development adding that the President's gesture illustrated the long-awaited political will which citizens needed to see coming from the highest level of the political hierarchy in the country.
“In the light of the above, we as the assembly members fully support the creation of the 47 county development boards and expect them to curb the obnoxious abuse of the public funds, equitably distribute the county resources, expand social infrastructure and end the suffering of innocent residents living in poverty,” he added.
The MCAs said they will not be used by the governors in their bid to squander public funds.
“The governors are running away from accountability. What is the problem when an MP or a senator is included in development committee? Are they not stakeholders in the affairs of the county? Ijara MCA Mohamed Abdullahi asked.
