- Governor Samboja has repeatedly said he will not dialogue with MCAs
- Speaker Mghanga says assembly’s call for dialogue is honest
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga will lead a mediation team to end the standoff between Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja and MCAs.
He will be joined by Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa and Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya.
Others in the dialogue team are Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen and Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo.
In a statement on Monday, assembly speaker Meshack Maghanga said the sole mandate of the team shall be to end the deadlock in Taita Taveta.
“We hereby cordially invite the governor to embrace dialogue and join us for the mediation meeting whose date will be communicated in due course," the statement reads in part.
Maghanga reiterated the MCAs are open to dialogue with the county executive to find a solution to the ongoing stalemate. He denied claims that an impeachment motion had been prepared.
“It is worth mentioning that we have no hidden agenda whatsoever contrary to what has been falsely claimed that the assembly has some cards placed under the table. The assembly’s call for dialogue is honest and geared towards ensuring that the citizens of this county gain the full benefits of devolution,”the speaker said.
He urged religious and other leaders within the county to be part of the mediation team.
Governor Samboja has whoever repeatedly insisted that he shall not dialogue with the MCAs, noting that his push for the county's dissolution is unstoppable.
A fortnight ago, Samboja received 52,100 signatures collected across the county to petition President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve the devolved unit.
The county boss told residents that dissolution would create room for new polls.
Taita Taveta Senator Jones Mwaruma, legislators Andrew Mwadime (Mwatate), Jones Mlolwa(Voi) and Danson Mwashako (Wundanyi) are in support of the dissolution while Woman Representative Lydia Haika and Taveta MP Naomi Shaban want dialogue.
Samboja fell out with MCAs after he declined to assent to the Sh5.6 billion budget for 2019-2020 financial year.
MCAs and the executive have separately met with Raila at ODM’s Capital Hill office in Nairobi over the impasse.
“We want this conflict to end because it is impacting negatively on service delivery to the people of the county,” Raila told MCAs in one of the visits.
The governor has also met President Uhuru Kenyatta over the deadlock.
Samboja was elected on a Wiper ticket while ODM controls the majority of seats in the assembly.