Busia MCAs divided as assembly plots CECs impeachment

The Busia county assembly on Thursday adopted a list of MCAs selected to investigate two county executive committee members facing impeachment.

Though the list was adopted, some ward representatives questioned the integrity of some of the special select committee members.

Those opposed to the list said the house committee on selection that recently retreated to Kisumu to pick members of the special select committee did not consider issues of regional balance and political party balance.

The list was adopted after speaker Fredrick Odilo subjected the matter to a vote after acknowledging he could not decide whether MCAs in the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ side had won after acclamation.

The voting went in favour of the MCAs in support of the list. They won with 19 votes against 14. Two votes were spoilt.

Isaac Wamalwa (Ang’urai North, DAP-K) was among MCAs who opposed the names fronted to investigate lands, housing and urban development executive Peter Odima and his sports, culture and social services counterpart Paul Olung’a Ekweny.

He said the issues raised in the petition seeking to impeach the two executives were of public interest and needed to be probed by a team of members with the highest levels of integrity.

The special select committee picked to investigate Odima has five members.

They include George Wesonga (ODM), who represents Butula subcounty, Mercy Wanyonyi (Nambale subcounty, nominated NRA), Boniface Mamai (Teso North, MDG), Beatrice Akinyi (Matayos, nominated) and Leonard Emureit (Teso South, ODM).

The team formed to probe Olung’a include Peter Talaam (Matayos subcounty, ODM) and Hellen Oduor (nominated, ODM).

Others are Beatrice Kanoti (Samia, Independent), Bonventure Makokha (Nambale, National Reconstruction Alliance) and Rose Amoit (Teso North subcounty, DAP-K,nominated).

“If you look at this list, you will realise that they exchanged members where they listed members from the land, housing urban development committee to investigate the sports, culture and social services executive and they picked members from the sports and culture committee to investigate the lands, housing and urban development chief executive,” Wamalwa said.

“Why Mr Speaker? Is it that these members have agreed to do something that is meant to save the two CECs? I'm seeing there is something cooking and we must uncover it now, because we are not here to play games. We are not here because of our relatives, but to do our job.”

Wamalwa questioned why ODM was allocated more slots in the committee. ODM, the majority party in the assembly was allocated five slots out of 10.

“As per the law of this House, ODM is the majority party yet it is not the only party with a sizeable number of members. If you look at the list of the members in the two committees, ODM has five members, DAP-K has one, MDG one, NRA two and independent has one," he said.

"For purposes of fair distribution as per the law, why is it that one party took over half of the positions? I reject this list.”

Boniface Erute (Amukura West, UDA) said the selection of the committee projected to probe Odima and Olung’a should have been done at the county assembly and the exercise should have been conducted during plenary.

“The selection of the two committees should have been done during plenary so we outrightly reject members with questionable integrity issues,” Erute said.

“We cannot auction our integrity because of a few people. I stand to oppose the list and call for the reconstitution of the same.”

Gaddy Jakaa (Bukhayo North) said members of the committee on selection should have ignored personal interests during the selection of the special committee members.

“Let us accept that we have a duty to change the destiny of Busia county. Let us accept that we have a duty to do the right things for this county to change,” Jakaa said.

“Some of the members who compiled this report have vested interests and some are not assisting the governor in any way. They are out to derail his development agenda by ensuring they save the two CECs.”

Others who opposed the list during plenary were Shadrack Masinde (Marachi Central) and Simon Maina (Marachi West).

MCAs in support of the list said it was properly constituted.

Joseph Eseme (Ang’urai South) cautioned MCAs from the ‘no’ side to trend carefully, lest their campaign derails the investigations planned for Odima and Olung’a.

“Let us not bring issues of relationships to the list,” former teacher Eseme said.

“If you support the list, that is fine, but if you don’t support it, then shoot it down.”

John Omumi (Bunyala Central) said issues of gender, party and regional balance was considered during the constitution of the special select committee and there was no need for MCAs in the ‘no’ side to complain.

The team has five women and five men.

“Representation based on gender, political party affiliation and regions was well taken care of when the list was prepared,” he said.

“Let us give the team support and allow it carry on with its mandate.”

Others who supported the list during plenary included Sylvanus Alianda (Bunyala North), Bonventure Makokha (Bukhayo Central), Concepta Omondi (nominated) and chief whip Tony Onyango (Burumba, ODM).

Speaker Odilo gave the special select committee 10 days to conduct its investigations on Odima and Olung’a and present a report to the county assembly.

The list was compiled after county assembly minority leader Zacchaeus Kubasu tabled two motions seeking to impeach Odima and Olung'a.

He accuses the two of grossly violating the Constitution.

The allegations levelled against Odima include instructing the demolition of business premises and kiosks in Busia town without adequately consulting business stakeholders.

The Marachi North MCA in his motion claims the destruction of kiosks along the Busia-Kisumu highway led to losses running into millions of shillings and, in some instances, physical harm.

He alleges that the demolition, under the watch of Odima, was done discriminatively where “well and connected” kiosk owners were spared and the whole exercise was marred by corruption".

Kubasu in the motion said top priority in the allocation of the newly constructed kiosks should have been given to people whose business buildings were demolished.

He said this is not happening since well-known businesspeople in Busia town have been allocated spaces to operate at the expense of traders who lost property during the demolitions.

The sports chief executive faces among other allegations un-procedural procurement and handling of sports equipment and funds for the wards sports activity in the financial year 2023-24 budget and alleged misappropriation of cultural funds during subcounty cultural activities in December 2022 and December 2023.

Kubasu also accuses Olung’a of misleading the public by falsely alleging that each ward had been allocated Sh1 million for 2023 ward sporting activities yet the money was not disbursed as claimed.