SG'sVISIT SPARKS OUTRAGE IN KAKAMEGA COUNTY ASSEMBLY

SG's VISIT SPARK OUTRAGE. 

From the Assembly. 

As elected leaders under the ODM party, we are privy to the letter circulating within the party, indicating that the Secretary-General will be visiting us on September 22, 2023. At first, we were happy that the party had begun grassroots visits, and Kakamega was the first, but alas, we are surprised that an SG would come all the way from Nairobi County to dictate appointments in Kakamega County Assembly.

We have MCAs who have been undermining the leadership of Kakamega County, both in the Assembly and the executive. These few individuals seem determined to create chaos within the Assembly and disrupt the county's functioning. We question why the Secretary-General is coming from Nairobi to Kakamega County to discuss the appointment of these MCAs to the committees. Does this imply that the party lacks trust in its grassroots structures and county leadership? Why would the SG undermine Governor Barasa and the Speaker of Kakamega County? Does it suggest that certain members within ODM hold more power than others?

Why would Elsie Muhanda use force and the party through the SG to install her cronies and undermine Governor Barasa's leadership? Is ODM attempting to micromanage the assemblies? Kakamega County is fortunate to have Deputy Party Leader Hon. Oparanya, who can facilitate a homegrown decision. Using outsiders to create chaos and confusion in the Assembly is inappropriate.

Senator Sifuna, please, as you visit, kindly focus on Kakamega County's grassroots elections and popularizing the party. While other parties are busy galvanizing and recruiting members to grow their party, ODM's SG seems preoccupied with non-essential issues, such as committee appointments for MCAs. It's a shame, and we won't allow these issues to persist. We want to see ODM's activities activated. The SG doesn't even know when the Kakamega ODM party office rent was last paid, yet he is swift to move all the way from Nairobi to appease certain individuals within the party. Kakamega county Assembly cannot be controlled from the outside; allow our leaders to work and organize themselves. Sifuna should prioritize grassroots elections and the activation of party activities.

As MCAs, we want to warn the SG and concerned parties that we will boycott that meeting if the agenda is to discuss committee leadership. The SG and ODM National office should stop interfering with the running of Kakamega County Assembly and its affairs

CONGRATULATIONS TO KAKAMEGA COUNTY ASSEMBLY.

Insert:Governor Barasa addressing the house as the Assembly resumes for the second session.

Once again, the voice of impunity has been vanquished.

Kakamega County Women Representative Elsie Muhanda put in place an elaborate plan to stop the budget from seeing the light of the day at the Assembly yesterday. Knowing the game that was in play, the Speaker and the Majority Leader, as a decoy, invited the whole house for a brief meeting in Kisumu, only a small number of MCAs, primarily nominated, attended. 

All the elected MCAs "declined" the invitation and instead convened their own in the Assembly hall. To this far, they successfully misled Elsie Muhanda into thinking she has carried the day in convincing them to drop the budget. The nominated MCAs who attended the Kisumu meeting were covertly instructed to remain in their cars during the voting day, ensuring that there was no quorum.

When the time came to vote on the bill, our honorable MCAs unanimously passed the budget without any amendments. This unexpected turn of events left Elsie and other adversaries in a state of embarrassment, a proof that our MCAs are beyond petty politics and are keen on supporting the Barasa administration and his development agenda.

Consequently, the Kakamega County Assembly became the first county to approve the budget, signifying a significant victory against impunity. Congratulations are in order for this achievement.

Its time for Maendeleo Mashinani