Acrimony as Kilifi County Assembly approves chief officer nominee
Kilifi County General Oversight Committee at a past session. The county assembly has approved Health chief officer nominee after initially rejecting him. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- During the motion, Mr Thaura raised a point of order claiming that some MCAs had been bribed at the assembly's toilet.
- Kakuyuni MCA Nixon Mramba opposed his statement saying the MCA should name those who were involved in the bribery claims.
The Kilifi County Assembly on Tuesday approved the appointment of embattled Health chief officer Adan Alio amid claims of bribery among the ward representatives.
The MCAs approved the motion to appoint Mr Alio to the post after amending a report prepared by the assembly Health Committee, which had rejected his nomination.
After the report was tabled in the House, assembly Majority Leader Adamson Mwathethe proposed a motion to amend the Health Committee report on vetting of the chief officer.
Interestingly, the same committee had earlier cleared him as the right nominee for the post after vetting, but their report was rejected by the assembly, prompting Governor Amason Kingi to re-submit his name.
UNSUITABLE
In the latest report, the Health Committee led by Mr Harrison Thaura had advised the assembly to reject Mr Alio’s nomination saying they have found him unsuitable for the post.
The committee's report also said Mr Alio’s academic and professional papers had varying names and that he presented a clearance certificate from Marsabit County, which is his former workplace, without an official stamp.
Mr Mwathethe, who is also the Shella MCA, proposed that some words in the report, which portray Mr Alio as unsuitable for post, be deleted or replaced.
During the motion, Mr Thaura raised a point of order claiming that some MCAs had been bribed at the assembly's toilet.
“Mr Speaker, some of the members were bribed at the toilet to vote in favour of the motion,” he said.
BRIBERY CLAIMS
But Kakuyuni MCA Nixon Mramba opposed his statement saying the MCA should name those who were involved in the bribery claims.
“The MCA is raising serious issues that put the integrity of this House at risk and he should withdraw his statement and apologise if he can't give evidence on the allegations,” he said.
Later Mr Thaura withdrew his statement but refused to apologise.
“The CCTV cameras are functional but I do not think there is a camera inside the toilet,” said Speaker Jimmy Kahindi.
Mr Mramba also suggested that the Health Committee be investigated after some MCAs said that the report does not tally with the one they had agreed to present before the House.
