Thirdway Alliance party leader Ekuru Aukot has suffered yet another setback in its push for a constitutional change after the Homa Bay Assembly became the latest county to reject the Punguza Mizigo Bill.
This is the fourth time the Bill is being rejected by county assemblies with just one endorsement.
MCAs in Muranga, Siaya and Kirinyaga counties also rejected the Bill leaving only Uasin Gishu County as the assembly which has adopted it.
In Homa Bay, MCAs unanimously reject proposals by Aukot to change the Constitution in a debate that lasted for about an hour.
The Bill was tabled before the House by Justice and Legal Affairs Committee chairman Okuku Miregi who told the assembly that is had been subjected to scrutiny and public participation.
“The bill has gone through all the required processes before presented to the assembly. MCAs have obligation to reject or adopt it,” Miregi said.
Mirgei said his committee had made a decision not to allow the proposed constitutional changes to go through for fear of losing their jobs as MCAs.
In the proposed changes, Aukot wants state officers adversely mentioned by the office of the Auditor General to step aside once charged.
Miregi expressed fear that Homa Bay MCAs and other legislators in other counties may be affected by this proposal if the Bill passes through.
“We have made several leadership changes in this assembly over mistakes done by predecessors. If we adopt the bill, some of us will carry the crosses which don’t belong to them,” he said.
Homa Bay is one of the counties which has been adversely mentioned by the office of the Auditor General for misuse of public resources.
From the start of the debate, it was clear the MCAs would not pass the Bill.
A number of MCAs said they don’t want to go against their party ODM which directed to reject the Bill.
ODM chairman John Mbadi, Homa Bay woman representative Gladys Wanga and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma have on several occasions urged the MCAs to reject the Bill.
The MCAs led by Geoffrey Anyango (Kabondo West) and Kevin Onyango (nominated) disrupted the debate and asked acting Speaker Evance Marieba to call upon Miregi to respond on grounds that they had made a decision.
“The mood of the house is clear that majority of members wants to reject the Bill hence we don’t need to waste time for other businesses,” Anyango said.
Onyango argued that Aukot wanted to use them as a rubber stamp for the Bill.
“Aukot party has no MCA neither does it have a senator. We don’t want to give a node to an initiative whose proprietor has no legislators,” Onyango said
Okwach Oranga (Mfangano) told the house that the proposals had already been rejected by county residents when the assembly conducted public participation.
“Who are we to accept what our electorates have rejected. Let us be quick and throw out the proposals,” he said.
Marieba accused some of the MCAs of misusing their influence to deny members a chance to debate the Bill.
“This house has spent its time checking and scrutinising proposals in the bill. Making a quick decision before listening to the opinion of other members would be an infringement of their rights,” Marieba said.
“In addition, there are people who don’t know what is contained in the Bill and this is an opportunity to let them know because it is a serious matter.”
Nominated MCA Susan Onyango opposed the Bill saying it has not addressed some of the issues affecting the country as huge debts and low revenue collection.
“You can’t reduce the wage bill by selectively cutting salaries of particular leaders and reducing representation in parliament,” she said.
In the bill, Aukot is seeking to reduce the number of MPs and other leaders to minimize how much the country spends on paying salaries.
