Carry your own cross, MPs tell Vihiga Governor Ottichilo

Vihiga Governor Wilber Ottichilo during a past event. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Agoi said they were yet to see any meaningful development in the county, noting that the Assembly was right to discharge its oversight mandate.

The onslaught against Vihiga County Governor Wilber Ottichilo has refused to let up after area legislators on Friday told him to carry his own cross in the ongoing impeachment push.

Six elected MPs from the devolved unit on Friday distanced themselves from the embattled governor as they criticised him for rushing to court in an attempt to stop his impeachment by Vihiga MCAs.

Led by their spokesman Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi, the parliamentarians asked the county boss to defend himself against accusations levelled against his administration by the County Assembly instead of rushing to court.

Mr Agoi was picked early last year to be the leader of the caucus of MPs from the county.

He said the group, which includes MP Christopher Omulele (Luanda), Omboko Milemba (Emuhaya), Ernest Ogesi (Vihiga) and Woman Representative Beatrice Adagala, was disturbed by the happenings in Vihiga.

Mr Agoi said they were yet to see any meaningful development in the county, noting that the Assembly was right to discharge its oversight mandate.

"We are elected MPs. We pass the budget that is allocated to counties. Vihiga gets about Sh6 billion and we ensure the national government disburses the funds," he said.

He noted that MPs had learnt with concern that the county boss has said no development project will be initiated during this financial year and part of the coming fiscal year 2020/2021 to enable payment of Sh1.8 billion in pending bills.

This, Mr Agoi said, was in contravention of the spirit of devolution that is intended to bring development to the grassroots.

"In the 2017/18 financial year, over Sh900 million in development cash was unspent and was returned to the Treasury. Now we hear no development project will be initiated due to pending bills yet we haven't seen any meaningful development so far," he said.

During a briefing early this week, Dr Ottichilo said much of the money had been channelled towards payment of pending bills.

He said the financial constraints had caused a challenge in initiating county government-funded development projects, noting that only projects under development partners and donors would proceed.

Currently, the World Bank is funding establishment of a municipality in the county while the Belgian government is funding construction of a Sh1.8 billion water project that is nearing completion.

Dr Ottichilo also urged MCAs to drop their impeachment plan and embrace dialogue as the current political tension was threatening to scare away donors and development partners.

Already 23 out of 38 MCAs have appended their signatures in support of the impeachment motion.

They are accusing Dr Ottichilo of abuse of office, imprudent use of public funds, massive sacking of county staff, failure to pay pending bills, exaggerating the value of land for the governor's residence, and irregular hiring of workers.