Photo:Standard Digital
The Commission of Inquiry appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to look into a petition filed by Makueni residents seeking to dissolve the county government commenced its public hearings in the county on Monday at Wote town.
One of the lead petitioners, Francis Mulandi told Mohammed Nyaoga – led commission that the persistent infighting between the Governor Kivutha Kibwana and Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) had prompted the more than 50,000 residents to invoke Article 192 of the constitution and suspend the county.
Mailu accused MCAs of deliberately trying to derail development in the county by failing to pass key legislations including the budget, sand and alcohol bills.
The petitioner said there was no tangible development in the county and added that illegal sand harvesting and the death of 20 residents due to a toxic brew in January 2014 was occasioned by the county assembly’s failure to pass the laws.
Mailu also accused the Speaker Stephen Ngelu of sidelining MCAs close to the Governor by denying them chances of traveling abroad. He singled out Minority Leader and Nguumo MCA John Mwenze and his Kithungo counterpart Constantine Keli Musyoka.
However, the County Assembly lead Counsel Morris Mulei while cross-examining the petitioner accused him of being partisan and lying to the commission.
Mulei dismissed the petitioner’s claims as false saying that the alcohol bill was presented to the county assembly in the month of October 2014 while the deaths associated with the killer brew happened in January 2014.
The lead counsel also tore into the petitioners account that the two MCAs had not traveled abroad and presented documents that showed that Keli and Mwenze had traveled to USA, Israel and China, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, Israel respectively.
The hearings that was marked by a low turnout will continue until May 11.
