Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Mbita Town.
The government has no plan of posting a new District Commission for Mbita district or any immediate arrangement to have officers deployed in the area.
This was stated by the Assistant Minister In Charge of the Provincial Administration and Internal Security Joshua Orwa Ojode.
The Minister was responding to a question put forward by this writer inquiring as to when the D,C., DO{1} and two district officer in charge of the district’s the administrative divisions, namely Mbita, Lambwe and Mfangano.
The main reasons why, He added, being the fact that the MP for the area Gerald Otieno Kajwang who is also the Immigration and Registration of Persons Minister has recently stated publicly that all members of the Provincial Administration should pack and go now that the new constitution is in force.
This is a clear indication that the services of these officers are no longer required in Mbita district. We must look for the way forward to have them deployed in places where they are required to provide the services to the public.
Mbita is the far end district that sits on the shore of the crime prone Lake Victoria border Uganda to the west, Budalangi to the north, Bondo and Rarieda districts to the Northeast,Gwasii district to the South, Ndhiwa and Rangwe to the Southeast. It coverers two major fishing islands, namely Rusinga and Mfangano and other smaller islands such as Ngodhe, Ringiti,Takawiri and Rhemba islands.
The district has been rendered malfunctioned after the D.C. for the area Francis Komen, the DO {I} and two district officers administering its two outlying administrative divisions, namely Lambwe and Mfangano were also abruptly transferred to other stations.
As a result, vital functions such as the district security committee meetings cannot be held and services that require the D.C’s signature cannot be t5ranbsacted and rendered to the public.
Mr Komen confirmed that he had been transferred to Kakamega as the Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Western Province. “So far I am no longer handling any official matter for the area, though I have not handed over the office to the new person. This is because the DO {1} who is next to him in hierarchy had also been transferred.
The former Mbita D.C. referred newsmen to his superiors for comment. The former D.C was removed two weeks ago in a reshuffle that affected many other Provincial administrators. The area has more than eleven chiefs and their 27 assistants did not know who to report to on urgent administrative matters. The issues has raised a lot of confusions, because it is unusual for the government to transfer a D.C. or a DO without replacement.
Mr Komen had also declined to comment on claims and rumors making the round that the removal of the officers was linked to remarks by Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang’ who had said that he did not need the Provincial Administration.The Minister was recently widely quoted by the media as telling the provincial qdministrators to start packing, because they were nb0ot needed under the new constitution.
Kajwang could not be reached immediately for his comment about the pathetic situation or to respond to Ojode contention that the government intend to remove and transfer the chiefs as well as their assistants to other stations where they-ir services are required. Sources at the Kisumu Offices of the Nyanza P.C. Fred Mutie . said the matter was receiving attention of the government and the situation would be normalized soon. Perhaps the situation would be rectified in a week or two.
A spokesman for the business community in Mbita Town Mr Okuku Miregi described the situation as grave and pathetic. Traders in the local market places and along the fish landing beaches are also worried. The area is prone to piracy and armed robberies staged by people suspected to be foreigners using the lake routes.
Organized gangs of foreign pirates are said to be roaming about along the lake shores, attacking fishermen and robbing them of money, fishing gears and other valuables and then uses speeding boats and escaping large quantities of shop-goods, money, fish-nets and the catches with impunity.
The traders in Mbita and it environs have appealed to the government to post the new officers as soon as possible.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
Orwa Ojode should direct his frustrations elsewhere. Actually he is a finished man. How can he use the opinion of 1 person to make decisions about a whole district? doesnt he know we belong to one county and we need each other? He has finally lost it.
That article is intended to embarass the hard working Orwa Ojodeh and create animosity between him and Otieno Kajwang’. The Government does not work the way somebody wants us to believe. I’m sure Kajwang’s and Ojode’s comments are also being put out of context.
Journalism is a good tool for enhancing accountability and reforms; public education but when constantly used to sow seeds of discord end up being counterproductive.
Mzee Leo should leave the new county of Homabay at peace. We have so many challanges in Homabay and the last thing we want to hear from self procliamed journalists is playing leaders of Homabay against one another on non issues.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child but we are no longer children Jaduong’ Journalist.
As an Assistant Minister, Ojodeh does not transfer and post provincial administrators. That is the work of technocrats headed by the PS and Secretary to the cabinet. An assistant minister is a communications link on behalf of the minister between parliament and the ministry.
Hon. Ojodeh should remain steadfast in his good work. Hon. Kajwang should also remain steadfast in his goodwork. The people of Homabay need both of them together with others. For the Homabay senate representation, we have electorate in Homabay who will decide. They do not need lectures from elsewhere on who should represent them.
Let us learn to use information to promote reforms, accountability and development.
We have changed from Districts to a more unifying county. We are one as a people of Homa-Bay county,our people MUST just be united.The war to supremacy should not be there. We need to change, and to use John Fitzgerald Kennedys’ words- Change is the law of life,and those who look only to the past or the present are certein to miss the future. We need the future of our county!
This is a perfect example of the dirty tactic of divide and rule that was initially introduced by uncle Daniel and his cronies in the 80s. I fail to understand the fact that our own leaders can turn against each other as manifested herein. We know there are people intereted in dividing jokanyanam so as to get it smooth in politics. My warning to you; Kenyans are now wiser than you can imagine, we also know that politics has been a dirty game. This is why we have taken it upon ourselves to elect leaders who can put in place strategies that can turn round this perception. Imean politics has to be a clean game with a deserving winner. All this begins from me and you. period. We are saying a big no to all the powers of division. SHINDWE KABISA.