The County Assembly of Siaya on Thursday formed a select committee to probe the conduct of Water and Environment executive Dr Julie Caroline Phoebe Adhiambo Akinyi Onyango.
The CEC is facing an impeachment motion that was tabled by West Uyoma MCA Justus Oguta who doubles up as the chairperson of the assembly committee on Water, Environment and Natural Resources.
According to assembly speaker George Okode, the motion had the backing of up to 41 out of the 42 assembly members.
The committee shall be comprised of Francis Otiato (East Yimbo MCA), Lorna Adida (Nominated), Brian Chieng' Abiero Anyango (South Gem), Benard Adala (North Ugenya), and Cynthia Akinyi (Nominated).
The committee was given 10 days to substantiate the allegations as tabled by Oguta during which, it is expected that the accused shall be given an opportunity to defend herself.
Onyango is accused of failure to honour invitations and summons by a committee of the assembly against Section 22 of the County Assembly Powers and Privileges Act, 2017.
She is also accused of having lied under oath during her vetting late last year to occupy the docket.
"The audacity with which the CECM for Water ignored summons of the Assembly committees caused a relook at the entry behaviour of the member," Oguta said as he moved the motion Thursday.
While approving her entry into the Water docket last year, the assembly had marked Onyango as a dishonest character but nodded to her appointment saying that they (the assembly) did not want to curtail the efforts by Governor James Orengo to constitute his government.
She declared that she was the program director of EcoEra International from November 2014 but a scratch of the surface by the house revealed that the said company was only registered in 2019 and that she was the owner.
"Documents by the Registrar of Societies indicated that EcoEra Consulting Ltd was registered in June 2019. It, therefore, beats any sense how Onyango was employed in 2014 by a firm that came into existence in 2019," Oguta reiterated the finding of the vetting committee.
Further, the person that Onyango listed as her referee to get the Water docket, Mr Daniel Myles (allegedly the EcoEra Executive Director), the assembly established, was a Mr Richard Oduor - curiously suspected to be Prof Richard Oduor.
Oguta further accuses Onyango of harassment, mistreatment and intimidation of junior officers in her docket and assault of a female member of the public in West Sakwa Ward.
The Star reached out to Onyango to respond to the above allegations and she promised to get back to us with a detailed statement.
She however did not get back by the time of going to press. We pledge to giver her side of the story once she reaches out.
