The county assembly of Bungoma has finished vetting eight nominees to fill slots in the newly elevated Kimilili and Bungoma municipalities.
The vetting was done by the Committee on Lands, Urban, Physical Planning, Housing, Trade, Energy and Industrialisation chaired by Bumula MCA Humprey Sifuna.
One nominee, Edward Kituyi, failed to show up for the vetting.
The panel was informed that Kituyi never picked the vetting questionnaire from the office of the clerk. Sifuna declared that the nominee had declined the nomination.
“Members, we shall take it that Kituyi has declined the nomination since he never filled a questionnaire nor did he turn up for for vetting,” he said.
One nominee Catherine Keya surprised the vetting team when she said that she does not understand English. The panel vetted her in Kiswahili.
Khalaba MCA Henry Majimbo took Keya to task. He asked her how she would perform her duties without understanding English.
“How will you perform your role. You do not meet the minimum education threshold of a diploma, you don’t understand English yet most committee meetings are conducted in English," Majimbo said.
Keya, a trader in Kimilili market, dropped out of school in Standard 7. She told the committee that she had been nominated by traders to sit on the board.
Former Kimilili Mayor Makhapila Mwangale, who was also one of the nominees, could not explain how he will transform the municipality if confirmed.
Makhapila had a hard time convincing the committee on his suitability for the position. He said he would use his experience as former mayor to fight crime.
The eight nominees for each of the two municipalities had either been picked by Governor Wycliffe Wangamati, or nominated by professional bodies..
The executive in charge of Urban and Physical Planning Bramwell Murgor will sit on the board as a member.
(Edited by P.Wanambisi)
