COUNTY POLITICS: Meru Assembly and executive enjoy cordial work terms

Meru MCAs during a county assembly session. PHOTO | PHOEBE OKALL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • County Speaker Joseph Kaberia, a lawyer, says the legislative body has put in place the requisite legal frameworks for sound management of the devolved unit.
  • MCAs lacked a proper debating chamber, offices and committee rooms to effectively perform their duties.

The Meru County Assembly has had a warm relationship with the executive for the last four years with majority of the members supporting Governor Peter Munya.

The assembly comprises of 69 members out of which 45 are elected.

The members were elected and nominated on 14 parties including the defunct Alliance Party of Kenya (APK), The National Alliance (TNA), United Republican Party (URP), and The Grand National Union (GNU).

County Speaker Joseph Kaberia, a lawyer, says the legislative body has put in place the requisite legal frameworks for sound management of the devolved unit.

Abothuguchi Central Ward Representative Ayub Bundi is the majority leader while Ruiri/Rwarera Ward Representative, who was elected on a Narc Kenya ticket is the assembly’s minority leader.

PASSES 500 MOTIONS

Mr Kaberia says since the inception of the county assembly, it has passed more than 500 motions and about 30 laws.

“We started with several teething problems. There were no structures or human resource capacity to run a county assembly.

“The first year involved learning and putting up the structures for a proper legislature,” Mr Kaberia said.

He said MCAs lacked a proper debating chamber, offices and committee rooms to effectively perform their duties.

“When I was sworn in as the speaker, I was required to start guiding the assembly immediately. I relied on the Senator and Governor, who had the knowledge of an order paper, to lead the session.

REVENUE COLLECTION

The MCAs and staff were also taken through a lot of training to debate and make sound laws,” he said.

Most of the laws made by the Meru County Assembly touch on finance and administrative sectors to facilitate revenue collection, administration and appropriation of funds.

Some of the Bills passed by the county assembly have aided the establishment of a County Microfinance Bank and a County Investment and Development Corporation (MCIDC).

The bank is a non-deposit taking institution that lends loans to members while the MCIDC is an investment arm of the government that also works closely with private investors.

Other bodies established through Bills of the county assembly include a County Revenue Board and County Alcoholic Drinks Board.