Governors woo MCAs in referendum drive

Governors have offered basketfuls of goodies for Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) to win support for a referendum to strengthen devolved governments.

The sweeteners that governors have offered include car grants, a special fund to run wards and greater legislative powers.

Governors view MCAs as crucial players in the push for the referendum because the draft Bill containing the proposed amendments to the Constitution will have to win the support of at least 24 out of the 47 counties before it goes to the National Assembly and the Senate.

Mr Isaac Ruto, who chairs the Council of Governors, told the Nation that the draft Bill to be subjected to the referendum will include proposals extending the privileges enjoyed by MPs to the MCAs “because they are also elected leaders”.

(READ: MPs fault governors over push for referendum)

He said: “We want to make their lives more comfortable. They need to have things like car grants to enable them move around the wards. You cannot have ward administrators moving around with cars while MCAs who are the elected representatives of mwananchi walk on foot.”

The car grants will be capped at Sh2 million.

“We will also be proposing that MCAs be allowed to administer the ward fund because they are the ones who know the needs of the common mwananchi,” he said.

Governors have launched a drive for a referendum to protect the country governments from what they see as increased interference by the Executive and the national Legislature.

President Uhuru Kenyatta recently signed a new law making Senators the chairs of County Development Boards.

PUSH DISTINCT

The governors push for a referendum is however distinct from a separate initiative floated by the opposition Cord alliance, which also lists devolution as one of the issues it wants to safeguard.

Besides increasing allocation to counties, the Bill will seek to ensure that Bills passed by County Assemblies automatically become law as opposed to the current situation where they must first be gazetted by the Attorney General.

Mr Ruto said governors would hold consultations with MCAs in their respective counties to ensure the referendum push succeeds. “Just yesterday (Saturday), I had a meeting with MCAs in my county to sensitise them on the need to support the referendum. I also intend to meet the MCAs and other stakeholders in my county in the course of next week,” he said.

And during the unveiling of the 15-member referendum steering committee chaired by Meru Governor Peter Munya last week, Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua said that MCAs will play a crucial role in the push for the referendum.

(READ: Governors unveil 15-man team in referendum push)

“MCAs in each county government will initiate the process of consulting with the wananchi at the grassroots level on the steps that we must take as a country to fortify devolution as one of the critical pillars of our Constitution,” Mr Gachagua said. “From the MCAs, we will consult with elected leaders at different levels and other stakeholders including those representing the youth, different faiths and women.”

But an official of the County Assemblies Forum, California ward MCA Hashim Kamau accused the governors of seeking to use them to achieve their selfish ends.

“They have been fighting us, demonising our trips abroad as a waste of public funds. All over a sudden, they have realised that MCAs are important and that privileges enjoyed by MPs should be extended to MCAs,” he said.

WHAT GOVERNORS ARE PUSHING FOR

• Increase the amount of money allocated to the counties
• Strengthen the Senate by making it the Upper House
• Review the law on impeachment or recall of elected leaders
• MCAs to enjoy similar privileges as MPs
• Clarification of the role of the counties in the management of environment, forestry, land and natural resources
• That the Equalization Fund be converted into a county government fund to be administered by the Commission on Revenue Allocation
• The formation of a Loans and Grants Council to guarantee equity between the national and county governments