BUSINESS DRY SPELL GRIPS KITUI COUNTY ASSEMBLY

 Kitui County Assembly Speaker George Ndotto regrets that the House is stuck without any business to undertake due to failure by sectoral committees to present reports for debate and deliberation.

“Honourable members, it is quite unfortunate that as we stand, the House lacks business to transact yet there are many committees that have undertaken various trips,” lamented Ndotto on Tuesday.

Members of the Assembly committees usually present reports on tours or trips they make within or without the country to the Assembly for deliberation. According to Speaker Ndotto, the reports are taking long to come by leaving the Assembly without any significant business to transact currently.

“To this effect you are from now henceforth informed that any committees with pending business will not be allowed to undertake additional work outside the Assembly before disposing their outstanding reports unless there are justifiable reasons for the same,” cautioned the Speaker.

Ndotto was making his opening remarks as he presided over the Tuesday morning August House sittings. He reminded the MCAs that they were expected to abide by the dictates of the constitutional provisions that bind them being State officers.

Chapter Six

“I remind you that as State officers, we are guided by the provisions of Chapter Six of the Constitution on Leadership and Integrity. As honourable members and leaders we are expected to be accountable of the monies we spend through timely submission of committee reports for all activities undertaken,” noted the Speaker.

Later during the sitting, Ndotto put on the spot the Assembly Committee on Water and Agriculture and Irrigation for preparing and presenting a half-baked report to the floor of the Assembly.

From left to right: MCAs James Kula (Chuluni ward), Waziri Bakari (Wiper, nominated) and Johnson Kanandu (Mumoni ward) who requested a statement occasioning the rejected report. Photo/MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT

He thus gave the committee that is chaired nominated Wiper party MCA, Dr. Grace Mutua, a three weeks ultimatum for her team to compile and provide a more comprehensive report to the satisfaction of the Assembly.

Ndotto issued the directive after MCAs expressed dissatisfaction with the report Dr. Grace’s committee had compiled that was presented to the House on Tuesday dismissing it as shallow and not measuring to the purpose for which it was required.

The Water and Agriculture sectoral committee had been tasked to inquire into and give a statement on the supply and distribution of water to Mumoni ward and its environs by the Kiambere-Mwingi Water and Sanitation Company (Kimwasco). 

The statement was requested in March 2021 by the Mumoni MCA Johnson Kanundu who felt that his electorate was getting a raw deal in terms water provision. And since Dr. Grace was away on Tuesday, a members of his committee Peter Kilonzo delivered the report to the Assembly.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT, EDITED By MUSYOKA NGUI