Sack Bungoma official for claiming we take bribes: MCAs

Bungoma MCAs are demanding the sacking of a senior county official who told them to stop demanding bribes in order to pass Bills and Motions.

They said they would not condone his “insults”.

HOUSE BUSINESS

The county assembly representatives want Governor Wycliffe Wangamati to sack Assistant Director Logistics Simiyu Mutaki after he told them to stop asking for as little as “Sh5,000” to perform assembly duties.

Mr Mutaki was said to have told the MCAs at a local hotel to stop demanding bribes in order to debate important county motions.

On Tuesday evening, the MCAs unanimously refused to deliberate on a report about the suitability of the nominated County Executive Committee members, saying they would only do so after Mr Mutaki is sacked.

The report had been compiled by the Committee on Appointments chaired by Speaker Emmanuel Situma.

Kabuchai/Chwele MCA Barasa Mukhongo, Mukuyuni MCA Meshack Museveni and Kimaeti MCA Jack Wambulwa, all of Ford Kenya, accused the county official of insulting them and belittling their work.

DEMANDS

"We can't proceed to deliberate on the report about CECs. Let the governor sack him first, he has no powers to control us. We will paralyse everything until the governor acts on this wayward civil servant," said Mr Mukhongo.

His sentiments were echoed by Mr Museveni who said that they want the employee to got to the assembly and pass all the bills “if he thinks we are doing nothing.”

"He is the road block, maybe he is the governor's mouthpiece and is delivering his message. We have never demanded any cash from the governor. We were to meet him and discuss the issue of bursary allocation. Let Mr Mutaki tell us who sent him to insult honourable members," he said.

BILLS

Mr Wambulwa said that they would not pass any bills until the governor sacked the employee whom he said "is fond of insulting honourable members.”

"We were elected by majority members to represent them in the assembly...We need to see action taken against him before we proceed or else everything will remain paralysed," said Mr Wambulwa.

MCAs chanted anti-Mutaki songs on the floor of the assembly shortly after the Speaker adjourned the special sitting to a later date, following the stalemate.

BRIBE

On Wednesday, Mr Mutaki said he would not stop cautioning MCAs against asking for kickbacks.

“Let them stop holding the county government at ransom. I can’t allow the MCAs to continue micromanaging the executive by demanding bribes to pass some motions. That is a bad trend,” he said.

Mr Mutaki asked the MCAs to focus on legislation to improve the county instead of “bribes as low as Sh5,000.”