Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) on Monday, March 17, boycotted an address by Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya during the 5th Legislative Summit organised by the County Assemblies Forum.
Mvurya, who was sent to represent President William Ruto, was addressing the summit when the MCAs began chanting, demanding Ruto’s presence at the event
They repeatedly shouted, “No Ruto, No Summit,” forcing the organisers to pause the meeting as they tried to find a way forward.
The summit was mainly aimed at discussing how county assemblies can improve their work and strengthen devolution
Other objectives included improving the relationship between county and national governments, finding ways to increase county funding, and making laws that will help counties function more effectively.
MCAs had hoped that the President would attend to hear and address their grievances directly. Ruto’s absence made them feel undermined and ignored by the national government.
MCAs’ biggest complaints included insufficient funding for counties, delays in receiving funds, and excessive control from the national government.
This comes months after MCAs raised concerns that the national government is not providing enough support to county assemblies. They stated that counties need more financial independence and better working conditions.
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