Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya on Tuesday failed to address the county assembly when it opened for its final session before the election.
The governor’s address, like the President’s address to the National Assembly, is supposed to set the agenda for the House for the session.
There were different accounts on why Oparanya postponed his address.
Minority leader Titus Kwomah said the governor learnt that the assembly leadership planned to invite ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi.
“The governor felt it was unacceptable for Mudavadi to attend the session before ODM leader Raila Odinga. He plans to address the House on March 3,” he said.
“He is even suggesting that he does that at Bukhungu Stadium, but we will resist this as the assembly service board.”
Urgent business
But Oparanya’s director of communications Sumba Juma said the opening coincided with other critical matters. He said the address will be rescheduled.
“This is not the first time the governor has failed to deliver his address to the assembly on the session opening day,” Sumba said.
He said the assembly is independent and cannot be controlled by the executive.
Speaker Morris Buluma said, “What normally happens is that we pick a date for the address. When we picked the date we thought he’d be there, but he said he could not make it and we shall take another date.”
The MCAs’ agenda includes the county Fiscal Strategy Paper 2017-18, 2017-18 budget estimates report, Public Accounts Committee review of the Auditor General’s report, annual development plan and the Kakamega Teaching and Referral Hospital Bill 2016.
