By Cahk Rachar
THE embattled Kisumu County council chairman Fredrick Onyango has been told to step aside from office so that he can clear his name from defilement claims first.
Civic leaders there say he should follow the law and vacate office after they threw him out of office He has meanwhile blamed a cabinet minister from Kisumu County for his political woes.
Onyango said that the minister has vowed to have him removed from office using all means at his disposal.
Rebel civic leaders have resolved to have Onyango removed from office over a number of allegations among them sexual harassment of a minor at Holo.
The clerk Ben Opiyo said that investigations have been carried out by the OCS Holo who has forwarded the same to the Kisumu police chief Musa Kongoli. He said it was the police chief who was yet to act on the same.
But the Ministry of Local Government has scoffed at the purported outer of Onyango from office.
Nyanza provincial local government officer Mr Peter Okello said that the removal of Onyango from office by some civic leaders was unprocedural.
Okello said that the grounds which the civic leaders used in removing the chairman from office were hollow.
He said you can not purport to remove the chairman based on criminal issues which the police have also dismissed.
Okello said that the county can not act as a court and decide on a criminal matter to remove the chairman from office.
“He can only step aside is he has a court case to that effect which is not the case” Okello said.
Police in Kisumu have dismissed claims that Onyango allegedly defiled a minor.
Kongoli said that the defilement claims against Kisumu County the chairman are baseless and based on malice.
“We have investigated the claims against Onyango and came to a conclusion that they are not true” he said.
The civic leaders led by Margaret Odhiambo accused Onyango of not upholding public integrity required of a public officer.
Councilors at the civic body recently convened a special council meeting ostensibly to discuss their chairman.
The civic leaders unanimously resolved that their embattled chairman steps aside in order to pave way for investigations leveled against him.
The civic leaders endorsed Councilor Stephen Otiato the current vice chairman to assume office in an acting capacity as the chairman Fredrick Onyango steps aside in order to facilitate a probe against him.
The drastic action taken against Onyango yesterday during a special meeting that was convened to discuss his conduct is as a result of numerous petitions which 11 councilors wrote to the clerk Ben Opiyo to convene a meeting in order to discuss the chairman.
In the petition seen by Citizen Onyango is accused of failing to ratify resolutions of the council to the county clerk.
He is also accused of disclosing the county affairs to outsiders without express authority of the council.
Onyango is also accused of giving false information to the Kisumu Rural Member of Parliament on the status of the council.
He is also accused of engaging in other conducts that are deemed not to in the interest of the civic body.
Onyango is also accused of non adherence to chapter six of the Kenyan constitution on ethics and integrity.
The petition is signed by councilors Christopher Oriyo, John Okore, Stephen Otiato, Margaret Odhiambo, Isaac Ojuok, Martin Onogo, Monica Otieno, Peter Okoth and John Abonyo.
During the stormy meeting at the county hall Onyango was ordered to leave his chair and sit with other civic leaders as his conduct is discussed.
Cllr Odhiambo exchanged bitter words with the beleaguered chairman whom she told to adhere to the local government act.
She openly accused the clerk inside the county hall of siding with the embattled chairman.
She tabled a petition earlier written on April 25 this year asking the clerk to convene a meeting but all in vain.
The civic leader also tabled another petition dated August 2 this year requiring the same to be convened for the same purpose.
She said that the constitution is very clear on issues of integrity and called on Onyango to follow the law.
Onyango on his part said the woes bedeviling him are political.
He swore never to his back at his detractors since he has a future to protect.
Earlier the civic leaders held elections for various standing committees which were however peaceful.
ENDS