After a lengthy break, the County Governor, Joseph ole Lenku, spoke at the beginning of the Second Session of the Third Assembly when more than 20 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) connected with the UDA and Jubilee parties in Kajiado staged a walkout.
After leaving, the MCAs spoke to the media. They accused the executive of several things, including failing to pay contractors, exempting themselves from bursary distribution, running up a huge wage bill, and failing to follow through on prior commitments.
The group of MCAs led by the Chief Whip and Leader of the Majority, Mr Stephen Ngatho, said that the governor had ignored them when awarding scholarships.
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The opportunity for some of us to distribute bursaries in our wards has yet to be there. Regrettably, the governor is distributing the funds through local authorities, depriving underprivileged kids of the opportunity to attend school, said Loisa.
The Ngong ward MCA, Mbiriri Mwaura, indicated that despite being the patrons, they should keep the ward committees the same.
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"Since the residents elected us, not the village officials, we cannot follow orders from them. Since the locals decide to employ us, denying us the opportunity to work would be equivalent to denying them their rights, according to Mbiriri.
The governor is to deliver the nine-point agenda he had promised Kajiado citizens at the beginning of the third assembly, according to the ward representative for Lodokilani, Mr Johnathan Saigilu.
The executive's decision to hire new staff through the back door while halting new hires because of the rising pay cost infuriated the ward delegates. The MCAs also criticised the governor for making hollow promises regarding unfinished bills.
The also said that due to non-payment, contractors were already avoiding Kajiado development projects—a problem the county executive had promised to solve in his previous speech to the House.
The governor denied the accusations, referring to the walkout as a sideshow that shouldn't interfere with his work.
In the assembly, Kajiado Senator Mr Samuel Seki expressed his understanding of the MCAs' anger. He pleaded with Governor Lenku to find a solution so that the people of Kajiado could receive the services they were due.
I understand the MCAs' annoyance with how the county government has been distributing bursaries to particular wards based on political considerations, Seki remarked.
He continued, "I implore the governor to consider this needless suffering of our young students and act quickly to fix the situation by treating all wards in the county equally and fairly.
The MCAs were advised by the Speaker, Mr Justus Ngossor, to take their duties seriously to serve the interests of the residents of Kajiado County.
