Anti-graft agency wants ward reps to stop unruly conduct

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission is seeking to have ward reps conduct themselves with decorum.

The EACC warned that Members of the County Assemblies (MCAs) who engage in name-calling and fist fights risk disciplinary action that could lead to their removal from office.

A letter detailing the types of misconduct and sanctions that will be meted out has been sent to the Nairobi County Assembly.

On Tuesday, the ward reps accused the commission and the government of attempting to gag them.

The assembly adjourned its sitting to discuss the letter that also sets out pre-conditions to be met in the next 30 days. This includes setting up a Leadership and Integrity Code which must be signed by all MCAs.

The clerk is expected to work with a newly constituted Powers and Privileges Committee from both sides of the political divide to develop the Leadership and Integrity Code.

SPEAK FREELY ON THE FLOOR

Nairobi Deputy Speaker Ken Ngondi said that even though the commission was bent on arm twisting them, they would not budge.

“This letter is vague and full of mischief. We will not take directives from anyone.

“They are giving us time frames yet we have no budget to plan for the sensitisation on whistle-blowing,” he said.

Sarang’ombe Ward representative Pius Otieno said that the communication negated their privileges to speak freely on the floor of the assembly without fear of prosecution.

He said that the letter was a means of intimidating the 47 assemblies, by first cowing Nairobi.

“Mr Speaker, for the last two weeks we have been under attack from commissions that want to supervise county assemblies.

“We are independent and we will not take instructions from them,” he said.

Mr Otieno said that EACC was “demeaning its stature by investigating name-calling instead of pursuing millions of shillings being stolen from public coffers.”

Makongeni Ward representative Peter Imwatoka said that the letter was as a result of a debate on powerful government officials linked to land grabbing last week.

“EACC should help us deal with corruption instead of waiting for a member to speak out and then write a threatening letter to this assembly,” he said.

The letter came just two days after the Nairobi MCAs implicated powerful politicians in a land-grabbing case involving two companies — Renton Company Ltd (404 hectares) and Off Shore company Ltd (650 hectares).

The assembly said the politicians behind the two companies had encroached onto land set aside for a Settlement Fund Trustee in Ruai.