Kisumu Governor Ranguma denies sponsoring MCAs trip to Arusha

Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma has denied claims that he sponsored the Sh15 million “bonding retreat” for MCAs in Tanzania.

The governor, while responding to accusations from local leaders and residents, said the assembly is an independent institution whose decisions are not subject to the approval of the executive.

“I wish to state that the county assembly is an independent institution whose decisions are made by the County Assembly Service Board and not the executive,” he said.

The MCAs, who returned to the county last week after a seven-day trip to Arusha, Tanzania, have been accused of abandoning the ongoing mass voter registration as well as spending funds on “needless trips”.

The 47 ward representatives were each paid Sh260,000 as an allowance for the trip.

Speaker Ann Adul, who chairs the assembly service board, acknowledged that she was aware of the trip but was not part of the entourage.

The assembly has been on the spot over the number of foreign and local trips sanctioned by members, a decision Auditor-General Edward Ouko says has cost taxpayers Sh78 million in the past two years.

The members have been to Uganda, Mombasa, Nairobi, China, Singapore and Israel.

Mr Ranguma also said he has a plan to mobilise voters in the county to register as voters.

He said he has launched a network of leaders who will get residents in their areas to register and carry out door-to-door campaigns.

“I have liaised with the regional administration to distribute uncollected national identity cards to assist the voter registration,” he said.