Nakuru MCAs' five-year score card reveals poor performance
Kabazi MCA Peter Mbae speaks at the Nakuru County Assembly on on August 10, 2021.
As the 78 ward representatives at the Nakuru County Assembly prepare to leave office ahead of the August 9 General Election, it is now emerging that in the five-year period, they were able to pass at least 32 Bills.
That means the Ward Reps from the 55 wards in the county of more than 2 million residents have been able to pass at least two Bills per month on average, gobbling millions of allowances and salaries from the taxpayers' coffers.
"This is a poor performance by the second assembly and with that kind of performance they deserve a Grade D if they were to be rated," said Mr Jackson Macharia, a human rights activist in Maiella Ward in Naivasha sub-county.
He added: "This is the worst performing assembly. The performance has just been pathetic and the MCAs deserve to go for permanent political retirement."
But if the 55 elected MCAs' performance was below par, the 23 nominated were not active during debates except nominated MCA Elizabeth Gichuki.
Ms Gichuki sponsored The Nakuru County Co-operatives Revolving Development Bill No. 9 of 2019 which was passed into law on December 12, 2019.
Apart from the Bills, the ward representatives failed to resolve several petitions.
Kabazi MCA Peter Mbae, who flopped in his bid to vie for the Subukia constituency parliamentary seat, sponsored several Bills that were passed by the House.
He sponsored the Nakuru County Tourism and Marketing Bill No. 4 of 2019 which was passed on December 4, 2019, and the Nakuru Honors and Awards Bill No. 15 of 2019 which was passed on July 7, 2021.
He also sponsored the Nakuru County Peace Building and Conflict Management Bill, 2021 which was passed on October 19, 2021.
This year alone, only eight Bills have been passed by the assembly including the Nakuru County Land Management Bill No. 5 of 2021 sponsored by Stephen Ngethe and passed on June 15, 2022.
The Nakuru County Assembly (Members' Offices) Bill No. 7 of 2021 by Wilbur Amara and passed on March 29, 2022, and the Nakuru County Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Bill No. 10 of 2021 by Elburgon MCA Njuguna Mwaura was passed on April 6, 2022.
Other Bills passed this year include the Nakuru County Community Health Service Bill No. 9 of 2021 sponsored by Njuguna Mwaura and passed on April 4, 2022, and the Nakuru County Appropriations Bill No. 2 of 2022 sponsored by Joel Karuri which was passed on June 8, 2022, and the Nakuru County Urban Food and Agricultural Bill No. 3 of 2021 by Daniel Kiriethe which was passed on March 29, 2022.
The Nakuru County Animal Disease Control Bill No.11 of 2019 by Wilson Mwangi was passed on April 12, 2022, and the Nakuru County Livestock Sales Yard Bill No. 10 of 2019 by Irene Chebichi was passed on March 1, 2022.
Last year, the assembly passed a total of 10 Bills including the Animal Welfare Bill No. 4 of 2021 by Daniel Kiriethe which was passed on November 30, 2021, and the Nakuru County Appropriations Bill No. 2 of 2021 by Speaker Joel Kairu passed on June 16, 2021, and the Nakuru County Climate Change Bill No.7 of 2020 by Joseph Kamanu passed on February 17, 2021.
Other Bills passed in 2021 include the Nakuru County Water and Sanitation Service Bill No.8 of 2020 by Joseph Kamanu passed on February 17, 2021.
The Nakuru County Waste Management Bill No.9 of 2020 also by Mr Kamanu was passed on February 24, 2021, the Nakuru County Revenue Authority Bill No 5 of 2020 by Symon Mwangi was passed on March 17, 2021.
The Nakuru County Flower Service Bill No. 3 of 2020 by Kibet Kurgat was passed on October 21, 2021, the Nakuru County Tea Cess Bill No. 4 of 2020 by Rose Chepkoech was passed on March 10, 2021, while the Nakuru County Inspectorate Compliance and Enforcement Bill No.6 of 2019 by Stanley Karanja of Naivasha East Ward was passed on June 6, 2021.
Other crucial Bills passed in 2021 are the Nakuru County Child Care Facilities Bill No.16 of 2019 by Douglas Ayabei passed on November 11, 2021, and the Nakuru County Bursary Fund Bill No.13 of 2019 also by Mr Ayabei which was passed on November 24, 2021, while the Nakuru County Disaster and Emergency Management Bill No. 4 of 2019 by the late MCA Karanja Mburu was passed on June 30, 2021.
In 2020 the assembly passed the Nakuru County Civic Education Bill No.17 of 2019 by Eric Gichuki on September 9, 2020.
In 2019 only four Bills were passed including the Nakuru County Public Service Bill No.12 of 2019 by Wilbur Amara, the Nakuru County Trade Bill No. 5 of 2019 by Paul Kimutai which was passed on December 4, 2019.
The Nakuru County Finance Bill No. 3 of 2019 by Simon Mwangi was passed on March 27, 2019, and the Nakuru County Enterprise Fund Bill No.5 of 2019 by Kihingo MCA George Machoka was passed on December 12, 2019, while the Nakuru County Agricultural Training and Mechanisation Service Bill No.14 of 2019 by Daniel Kiriethe was withdrawn.
In their first year in office in 2017, the MCA passed only one Bill namely the Nakuru County Public Health and Sanitation Bill, 2016 by Joseph Langat which was passed on February 28, 2017.
