Members of County Assembly (MCAs) across the country have threatened to down down their tools, paralyse operations at county assemblies, and march to State House on Monday if their demands are not met.
Speaking during the inaugural County Assemblies Forum at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), the ward representatives outlined a list demands including the financial struggles they are facing while carrying out their mandate.
They also stated that the dire situation has turned them into beggars from other leaders, as there is no specified development kitty assigned specifically to them.
Naivasha East MCA Stanley Karanja raised the issue of disparity in the remuneration of county officials, stating, “MCAs are told to oversight a Governor who is earning a million and you are paying them Ksh86,000.”
They further accused Governors and Senators of abandoning them in the push for key amendments, such as the County Pension Amendment Bill.
The same MCA has the first touch to the ground and the people,” Kwale MCA Hanifa Mwajirani stated. “Senators are not seen, MPs are not seen. They are always in Nairobi.”
Nairobi County Senator Edwin Sifuna, who was the chief guest at the event, supported their concerns, noting the crucial role MCAs play compared to other elected leaders, as they are closer to their electorates.
“When a child is sent home for school fees, the first door they knock on is the MCA’s. Meanwhile, the other elected leaders are in Nairobi making noise in Parliament,” Sifuna stated.
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