Deep rooted mistrust to blame for Mombasa County Assembly fights

Mombasa County Assembly Speaker Thadius Rajwayi tries to calm agitated assembly members on May, 11 2016. Deep-seated mistrust and suspicion pegged on tribal lines are to blame for fighting that rocked the assembly for two days. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The wastage of monies in the county assembly would shock all when he discloses his report ‘soon’.
  • Hatimy told the Nation by phone he could not allow a ‘corrupt’ county assembly service board to continue transacting business with impunity.
  • He quoted some of the wastages as the purchase of an anti-virus software, Kaspersky, at Sh24,500 instead of the market price of Sh1,400.
  • He claimed it was only in Mombasa County where 70 per cent of its workers came from other regions.

Deep-seated mistrust and suspicion pegged on tribal lines are to blame for fighting that rocked Mombasa County Assembly for two days.

The chaos saw allies pro-and-against the Speaker Thadius Rajwayi clash forcing the Assembly to adjourn abruptly.

Without mincing his words, the assembly’s Finance Committee chairman Mohamed Hatimy told the Nation by phone he could not allow a ‘corrupt’ county assembly service board to continue transacting business with impunity.

“If the Speaker has no control of the chambers, then he has no business being the symbol of authority in the county,” he said.

The wastage of monies in the county assembly would shock all when he discloses his report ‘soon’.

Briefly, he quoted some of the wastages as the purchase of an anti-virus software, Kaspersky, at Sh24,500 instead of the market price of Sh1,400 while air-condition repairs were done for Sh280,000 instead of Sh60,000.

TIP OF THE ICEBERG

“This is just the tip of the iceberg leave alone the Speaker’s gown and his full suit that was purchased at Sh300,000,” he said, questioning whether it was made of ‘gold’.

Asked whether the infighting would not adversely affect the ODM fraternity in the county, Mr Hatimy, who is also the party county branch chairman, dismissed this saying those supporting the Speaker were doing so on the basis of tribal affiliation.

“How come now we want to impeach the Speaker and suddenly all the Luo MCAs are ganging up to support their own without looking at the gravity of the matter?” he asked.

He said the issue of party should not arise when corruption hits the county’s leadership.

He claimed it was only in Mombasa County where 70 per cent of its workers came from other regions while the indigenous only shared 30 per cent of all the opportunities available within the county.

“When we sent home the Finance and Economic Planning Chief Executive member Walid Khalid, nobody raised a finger but now when we want to impeach the Speaker the Luo MCAs are up in arms,” he wondered.