MP hits out at coastal leaders

What you need to know:

  • “Instead of singing to us jumuiya songs let the governor tell us what he is doing to address professional squatters who invade people’s parcels of land and then demand for compensation,” he said.
  • The lawmaker warned the Mombasa governor that from next year he would start taking audit of all the money disbursed to the county by the national government.

Nyali MP Hezron Awiti Saturday opposed the formation of Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani saying the six coast governors had not involved the people at the grassroots.

Addressing a press conference at his constituency yesterday, Mr Awiti questioned the intention of those pushing for the union and use of public funds.

“Under the existing laws no governor can channel public monies to any cause or project without involving wananchi from the village levels to wards and constituencies,” he said.

The lawmaker warned the Mombasa governor that from next year he would start taking audit of all the money disbursed to the county by the national government.

“As a leader, citizen and resident of this county, I have constitutional rights to demand for transparency and accountability of public funds used by the governor,” he said.

He said before the leaders can form an outfit that will eat into the public coffers, they should first investigate rampant corruption in their regions. Citing land grabbing by “professional” squatters, Mr Awiti challenged the Mombasa Governor to tell his county subjects what he was doing to address this pertinent issue.

PROFESSIONAL SQUARTTERS

“Instead of singing to us jumuiya songs let the governor tell us what he is doing to address professional squatters who invade people’s parcels of land and then demand for compensation,” he said.

On devolved government, the legislator told Mr Joho to disburse monies to the members of the county assembly so that they could initiate projects within their wards.

“Devolution is not a one- man guitar but concerted efforts of MCAs, MPs, senators and governors but as it is now there is only an individual playing the tune in Mombasa, while the rest are just spectators,” he said.

He stated that most MCAs risk being thrown out of their wards because they lack any projects to show for their terms in office.

“We do not want kingdoms of governors running over everybody and everything in the coast region. We want kingdoms of people having a say on whatever they do or want done for them,” he said.