Act by the law or lose seats, MCAs warned
What you need to know:
- Nairobi County MCAs have opposed the directive, saying they will not abide by it.
- MCAs have been accused of conducting business like the former councillors, including resorting to fisticuffs.
Members of county assemblies risk losing their seats if they do not adhere to an Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission code of conduct.
Spokesman Yasin Amaro confirmed that all county assemblies had received letters detailing how the code is to be established in the next one month.
He said the EACC was not interfering with counties but was carrying out a constitutional mandate under Chapter Six of the Constitution on leadership and integrity.
“Assemblies across the country have shown a lack of leadership and are run as market places. MCAs must know that elected officials ought to be guided by Chapter Six of the Constitution on leadership and integrity,” he said.
He added that the MCAs needed sensitisation and that was why the commission had developed a singular code of conduct, adding the commission was raising legal issues that were not their creation in trying to address an existing problem.
“All we are asking is that they (MCAs) carry out their mandate as per the Constitution,” Mr Amaro said.
Nairobi County MCAs have opposed the directive, saying they will not abide by it.
They dismissed the letter that called for the institution of a leadership and integrity code, sensitisation programmes in collaboration with the commission and the institution of mechanisms for whistle blowing and acting on reported cases.
Code of conduct
The letter instructed the assemblies to urgently institute the measures and submit a status report to EACC within a month, including the code of conduct duly signed by all MCAs. The move, EACC states, is aimed at ensuring Members of County Assemblies conduct themselves with decorum.
MCAs have been accused of conducting business like the former councillors, including resorting to fisticuffs.
In June this year, both the Nairobi and the Machakos county assemblies descended into chaos with MCAs openly exchanging punches.
Nairobi Assembly members raised hell over calls for a national dialogue while their Machakos counterparts used fists to express their displeasure at using a small office for assembly after recess.
In July, there was trouble at the Kakamega assembly that forced the suspension of Assembly Deputy Speaker Cleophas Malala and Isukha West Member Edward Shivembe for engaging in unruly behaviour and disrupting proceedings during debate.
Proceedings at the county assembly degenerated into chaos after MCAs backing the removal from office of Mr Malala and those supporting him engaged in a scuffle during the stormy debate.
The MCAs have also been accused of seeking bribes and threatening impeachment to solicit money and favours from county executives.
Kericho Governor Paul Chepkwony told the Senate committee hearing at his impeachment case in May that Kericho county assembly members demanded Sh52 million to drop an impeachment motion against their governor.
He said the demand was made on May 9, and he was impeached five days later after he refused to pay.
