Kwale leaders reject 'ODM' appointee to Council

KWALE COUNCIL

FEBRUARY 22, 2010

BY EUGENE OMILO

Civic leaders in Kwale have opposed the appointment of a former
parliamentary aspirant to the Kwale County Council saying the
appointment is unconstitutional.

Led by County Council chairman Ruga Mshenga, the councillors have
blocked Mishi Juma who was appointed by Local government minister
Musalia Mudavadi as the Public Officer at the council from taking over
office.

Mishi was appointed in a January 19 gazette notice to replace Mbogho
Mbitso who lost his job in unclear circumstances.

During a special council meeting held last Friday in which county
clerk Wilberforce Wambulwa was supposed to oversee her take an oath of
office before the council, 35 councilors present out of a total of 48
voted unanimously to oppose Mishi from taking the oath of office.

The councillors said the Local Aouthorities Act states that a person
to be appointed to that position should be a native of the district
where the Council falls yet it was not the case with Mishi who is from
Likoni district.

Efforts by Wambulwa to convince the councillors to let him swear in
the officer did not bear fruit as the councillors vowed to block her
from crrying out her duties until Mudavadi listens to their plea.

"We shall not sit back and watch other people interfere with our
affairs,the law is clear on how such an appointment should be made and
we have evidence that Mishi is not from Kwale and  hence not legible
for the appointment," said Mshenga yesterday.

Most councillors say the Council believes a local ODM MP's hand is
behind Mishi's appointment so that she can promote the party's
interests at the council ahead of the impending Matuga byelection.

Both ODM and PNU have braced themselves to counter one another in the
anticipated elections and the Kwale councillors ,majority of which are
in PNU, believe Mishi's appointment is a plan hitched by the ODM top
brass to help the ODM candidate win the anticipated polls.

Transport minister Chirau Mwakwere lost the Matuga seat after a
Mombasa court ruled in favour of a petition filed against him by a
voter.

His lawyers have since filed an appeal to challenge the ruling.

"We have written a memorandum to the minister and we hope he will act
on it in time but currently, Mishi has no place in our Council," said
Mshenga.

Mishi vied for the Likoni parliamentary seat during the ODM primaries
in the last general election and lost to MP Masoud Mwahima.

When contacted for comment about  the controversy,provincial local
government officer Allan Rop said he had directed the county clerk to
prepare a report and forward it to his office but was yet to recieve
the report by yesterday.

ENDS...