By Our Reporter
Eighteen Kisumu Councillors opposed to Mayor Sam Okello and associated with Kisumu businessman billionaire Councilor James “Lord “Oyollo have crossed the border to Uganda where they have vowed to camp and only come back on the eve of the elections and vote out Mayor Okello and his team .
The Councillors who crossed the border in shuttle matatus vowed that they will remove Okello through balloting and replace him with “Lord” Oyollo ahead of the mayoral elections scheduled for first August
They have accused Okello of arrogance and being out of touch with the realities of the council a fact the group allied to the Mayor led by Councilor John Onunga has vehemently denied saying that the said Councillors have ganged up due to reasons best known to them.
He says that the record of the Mayor speaks for itself as he has tried the much he can to bring sanity within the town.
“Presently workers salaries are being paid on time and we have tried to re-plan the city in preparation to it being the head quarter of the East Africa and boda boda ,motor cyclists and tuk tuk s have all been evicted out of town giving leading businessmen conducive atmosphere to do their businesses within the Central Business District” Onunga added.
But a close ally of “Lord” Oyollo who is rumored to be his running mate Councilor Oruko Otuge says that what has made the Councilors come together with a view of ousting Mayor Okello is that he has lost with reality and has failed even the Prime Minister Raila Odinga who brought him.
“He has killed Council Committees and rendered them irrelevant as he is still bitter that all his men lost during the committee elections which we swept en -masse.as a result also element of Council Committees have also been killed “ Otuge added.
He further said that policy formation from the grass roots through elected leaders are irrelevant as the outgoing office ignores committee stages and takes things straight to the full council meeting .
“As a result deliberations on crucial issues are being denied as the Clerk Daniel ole Nkere appears to be reading from the same script like them” Otuge said.
By saying that they were nineteen in Kampala this means that they are destined for an outright win as the council has twenty nine councillors
“This is what our camp says is titanic battle and we must win” he added.
ENDS
The Local Government CAP 265 provides in respective sections as follows:
12. (1) “For every municipality there shall be a municipal council established under this Act and every municipal council shall consist of such number of councilors as may be elected, nominated or appointed under section 26.”
13. (1) “The mayor of a municipal council shall be elected by the council from among the councillors at the first meeting of the council and subsequently at each second annual meeting of the council and, a mayor elected in the year 1968 or later shall hold office until the next annual meeting but one of the council.”
14. (1) “The mayor shall be elected by the councillors present, by secret ballot, and such election shall be the first business transacted at the first meeting of the council, and thereafter at each second annual meeting of the council”
It is clear, according to provisions of Article 14(1), that no other person, who is not a member of the council, has authority to choose a mayor. This Article also provides for election of the mayor to be done “by secret ballot”, as a way of protecting the participating councillors from intimidation and ensuring that democracy prevails.
Kisumu Municipal Council must live up to the spirit and letter of this law in conducting the next mayoral elections. An entrenched interest group that benefits from many years of malfunctioning governance system in the council is however out to ensure that this does not happen. High level lobbying is currently going on targeting opinion leaders in Kisumu and amongst top government and political leadership of the region and country for the councillors to be prevailed upon to simply walk into the council chambers, in the name of elections, to rubber-stamp the lobbyists’ interest of retaining the current Mayor, Sam Okello, no matter the view of councillors.
Kisumu Municipal Council has become a bad example where electoral process is not given a chance in determination of leadership. Since 1999, Article 26(2) has been used to nominate new people to be councillors so as to be mayor whenever a vacancy arises. The only exception was Cllr. Prisca Auma who was an elected councilor at the time of the vacancy that she filled as mayor. But it should be remembered that this vacancy arose as a result of revocation of nomination of Clarkson Otieno Karan, who had earlier been nominated so as to be mayor.
All these nominations of external personalities to take over as mayor have never been popular with councillors. Their feelings are understandable on the basis that some, if not all of them, stood for elections with ambitions of convincing their colleagues to be elected as mayor. Their ambitions are thus stifled when people who did not bother to go through the rigor of an electioneering process are nominated to lead them.
But the feelings of Kisumu Municipal councillors do matter to these external forces that influence these nominations. Once pressure is brought to bear on R.H. Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, the lobbyists know that the councillors have very little space for maneuver. When in 1999 the then councillors resolved to defy an order to rubber-stamp a decision to make the then newly nominated Shakeel Shabir mayor, the full council meeting convened for the election was violently broken up by hired goons armed with crude weapons. The violence followed the councillors to their houses which were broken into and their families subjected to terror and intimidation. They had little options but to reconvene and rubber-stamp Shakeel’s installation.
While councillors and other stakeholders in Kisumu thought that the 1999 incident was an exception, it is clear 12 years down the road that it is now the norm that, if not checked, will have far reaching ramifications on emergence of leadership in Kisumu and the entire Nyanza province.
The excuse advanced by lobbyists who push for imposition of external people to lead Kisumu Municipal Council is normally that Kisumu, as an important urban center, needs better skills and exposure than that brought in by elected councillors. I have always found this argument to be fundamentally faulty. The first question that we should ask is: why does the electoral process not churn into the council the so called “skilled and exposed” personalities? Why must they be nominated and not elected by the people? The answer lies in interference of the electoral process by this same group who later lobby on choice of mayor. The residents of Kisumu know that because of stifled democratic space that brooks no dissent, either within the dominant political party or through alternative parties; the choices of the masses will rarely get elected as councillors. This has discouraged many credible personalities from running for electoral positions, including civic seats. It is therefore dishonest for the same group to turn round and influence nomination of certain personalities and then impose them on elected councillors.
Interactions with elected civic leaders in Kisumu has proved to me that despite the popular view, we have amongst them exceptionally intelligent individuals who also bring into the council diverse skills and experiences from various fields. Save for Shakeel who had a Masters degree in Finance, none of the nominated mayors has ever brought in any exceptionally special academic qualification that would put to shame that of the elected councillors.
The unfortunate effect of the continued imposition of nominated mayors on the elected Kisumu Municipal councillors is the fact that such mayors owe their allegiance, not to the councillors or the people, but rather to the lobbyist who influence their imposition. In total disregard of the Local Government Act, elected councillors are then alienated from management of the council, as the mayor runs council affairs only with participation of chief officers, whose posting to the council is normally also a result of lobbying to the Ministry of Local Government and as such do not feel accountable to the councillors but to the same lobby groups who influence their appointments. The Management of Municipal Council of Kisumu, thanks to the power of the lobbyist, is therefore an exemplification of the worst form of bad governance, corruption and impunity. The law and the interest of the public in service delivery are shunted to the periphery as interests of these lobbyists, especially in big tenders, contracts and council resources like land, take sway. The public who seek to participate in council affairs through their elected leaders are left as hopeless as their councillors.
It is unfortunate that such a leadership tragedy, with significant adverse development consequences is taking place in Kisumu municipality, one of the biggest urban centers in Kenya with a population of more than 700,000 growing at an estimated annual rate of 2.8%. Moreover, almost 60% of this population lives in informal settlements. The situation in these informal settlements paints an appalling picture of the conditions of urban poverty. The level of congestion in these areas is worrying, with basic sanitation infrastructure like water supply and toilets missing.
The overall health situation in the informal settlements is critical. Slum residents in Kisumu currently have worse health and reproductive health conditions than in rural areas surrounding Kisumu City; have in comparison the lowest school enrolment rates for both males and females; and experience the greatest lack of income opportunities. In addition, the children in the slums have the highest mortality rates. Insecurity of tenure for the urban poor in Kisumu City is more a rule than an exception. The poor often have no access to land and security of tenure and many are landless and squatters. Moreover, the problems related to adequate shelter are now tremendous, although shelter and housing are considered as basic needs for human survival.
In a town where population growth rates are high by any standards; where there is dearth of formal sector industrial activities; where labour-absorptive capacity of modern industry falls short of the growth of labour force; where poverty relegates many people to anti-social problems; and where high dependency levels stifle savings and investment – the vicious circle that condemns majority of the population to perpetual poverty, if deliberate efforts and bold moves are not made to wrestle control of the municipal council from powerful economic cartels and their lobbyists through restoration of democratic and accountable leadership, disaster is bound to occur.
As a first step towards restoration of democracy and good governance in Kisumu, councillors must be allowed to freely and democratically choose a mayor to lead the council in the remaining period before the next general elections. Cllr. Sam Okello, the current mayor should appreciate this and, rather than seeking intervention of lobbyist to influence the powers that be, seek support of his councillors. If the councillors decide to vote him out, as is most likely to happen considering the fact that majority of them are gravitating away from him, their decision should be respected and the newly elected mayor be given the required support to lead his team to sort out the myriad socio-economic problems bedeviling the city.
Section 4(2) of the new Constitution provides that, “The Republic of Kenya shall be a multi-party democratic State founded on the national values and principles of governance referred to in Article 10.” When residents of Kisumu turned out almost to a man, to vote for the New Constitution, they we conscious of authoring the provisions of this section as a definition of a new political system that would vanquish undemocratic tendencies that promote impunity and corruption. Kisumu city councillors must therefore be afforded the statutory right to democratically elect their leader in the forthcoming mayoral elections. It is only then that we can hold them accountable for service delivery.
Joshua O. Nyamori
He he heee! Which day are these teams from the lake going to meet? Where are the rival teams camping for the big tournament? Kare otek mana kama!
Subject: Kenya and Uganda, Kisumu Mayoral Election, Councillors Goes to Camp in Uganda until election day
From: Judy Miriga
Folks,
People, Kibaki and PM Raila are not taking their work seriously according to Oath of Allegience. They are taking Kenyans for a ride trying to sneak small packets of Old Constitution to EVADE the New Constitution.
No wonder Kibaki, PM Raila, Kalonzo and Wako dissappeared out of the Country for a week long, to avoid THE COOKED MAYORAL ELECTIONS, so they take a break away from FIRE THEY LIT BEHIND……..puting the country in a limbo, in a mess they created, then they take off running away from REALITY, from going the New Constitutional way, avoiding the importance of effecting the Implimentation of the New Constitution before considering electioneering processes………
They seem to conspire to inject small pockets of old Constitutional processes into Municiplal County Council, to boost and protect their Status Quo and Special Interests, giving power to their constant control over Devolution Federal Majimbo governance. They are seen seakyly, secretively and selectively, influencing Mayarol Election to retain power for Status Quo……and expound corruption……
This is why they organize to impose leaders against public wishes. and consequently, In fairness, Councillors could not have gone to hide in Uganda without PM Raila and Kibaki’s prior endorsement…….This is all their style of CONSPIRACY, People…..!!
This will not work, and it must not be allowed to go on. Kibaki and PM Raila must be stopped before they put the Country into a QUAGMIRE………..they have sneaky agenda, risky for public survival, that must be watched keenly and be urgently stopped in a heart-beat.
Kibaki and PM Raila must honor people publics needs and demands according to mandate, which they must take full responsibility according to their swearing oath of allegiance to Country’s specified New Constitution, where they acknowledged at Promulgation Ceremony, to serve The Kenyan Republic in loyalty.
Without beating about in the bush, we need someone like Mary Angawa in Attorney General Office to help straighten out and clean the mess left by Wako in a short space of time…….Mary Angawa as I have been watching her work, even in the past Regime, has been steadfact, thorough and a no-nonsense God fearing person, who will do Kenyans a good service out of the sticky mud.
Lady Justice Mary Angawa deserves this position of Attorney General without favour, I dont know her personally but have been watching her cases and I am satisfied we can have a real change at the Judiciary when joined with Willy Mutunga, Baraza and others.
Shall we all join forces from all quarters to boost the challenging women of substance to join the bar and in a joint spirit stand behind Lady Justice Mary Angawa in top Judiciary postings.
Thank you all,
God Bless…..!!!
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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End Mayoral Election Farce
….stop old ways and adopt The New Constitution strategy to avoid confusion and corruption
2 July 2011
Nairobi — The nationwide mayoral elections in the past week have once again underscored the reason why the drafters of the new Constitution proposed a move away from the current system.
The way county councils are run is a farce. This fact is vividly illustrated during mayoral elections as councillors publicly sell their votes to the highest bidder.
There is no attempt to disguise the intentions of the mayoral candidates or the demands of the vote-wielding councillors.
Instead, those seeking the position of mayor make an offer of how much cash they will pay to receive backing.
To ensure those in their camp do not stray the councillors are often spirited away to a remote destination as far away from the council as possible.
They then return these voters on Election Day and duly claim the seat depending on how deep their pockets are.
This is no way to run these important units of governance that are often the institutions with which ordinary wananchi interact on a daily basis.
The mess witnessed in the past week should serve as a reminder to the team working on the devolution bills for the Local Government ministry that their work is most urgent.
Direct election of the leaders of major municipalities will put an end to the circus that is the current system of election of mayors.
It may also lead to better service provision and accountability through the ballot box because county leaders will no longer be free to use millions of shillings while, as in one seaside city, their streets sag under the weight of uncollected garbage.