Respect the law, Peter Munya tells Githu Muigai taskforce

Governors have hit out at proposals by a taskforce led by Attorney-General Githu Muigai to force elected leaders being investigated over corruption to step aside until they are cleared.

Council of Governors chairman Peter Munya on Saturday said proposed amendments to the anti-corruption laws were irrelevant.

Mr Munya, who is also the Meru governor, said there is no provision in the Constitution requiring elected leaders to vacate office when being investigated.

“We will continue to challenge that we be shown which provisions in the Constitution requires an elected leader to step aside. Let them bring amendments to the Constitution and if they succeed, we have no problem. But the law must be respected,” Mr Munya said.

The county boss accused the taskforce which prepared the raft of amendments of applying the law selectively.

“The Constitution says if a governor is found guilty of a crime and is jailed for more than 12 months, then he loses his office automatically. Kenya is run under the rule of law and not jungle law,” he said.

Governors being investigated are Mr Munya, Mr Isaac Ruto (Bomet), Dr Evans Kidero (Nairobi), Mr Samuel Tunai (Narok), Dr Alfred Mutua (Machakos), Mr Josephat Nanok (Turkana), Mr Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Mr Ukur Yatani (Marsabit), Mr Okoth Obado (Migori), Mr Godana Doyo (Isiolo) and Mr Cyprian Awiti (Homa Bay).

At the same time, Mr Munya said they will move to court over the government’s refusal to cede control of key functions that are supposed to be devolved.

The governor wants the national government to hand over control of funds set aside for water projects to allow counties to improve the sector.

“The transition period is ending in March next year and we are concerned with the slowness by the government in this process. We have instructed our lawyers to go to court in the next two weeks to demand a roadmap on how to restructure this process,” Mr Munya said.

He further praised a High Court ruling that declared as unconstitutional a law that gave senators the power to convene and chair County Development Boards.

Mr Munya said the Judiciary had denied senators the chance to subvert the Constitution.

“We raised these concerns very early. There is no way you can create a super structure that superimposes itself on counties. The Constitution is very clear what the role of Senate is and they should confine themselves to that instead of trying to do other people’s jobs,” he said.

He was speaking at Kalimbene in Igembe Central after launching a water project.