Kuria women leaders support bid to impeach Obado
Nominated MP Dennitah Ghati MP has said they are behind the constitutional position and the court’s decision that Governor Obado keeps off the management of county affairs until the matter is determined.
What you need to know:
- Kuria Women Professionals have castigated the casual manner in which the county's MCAs have handled the impeachment process.
- They said the county has suffered from poor leadership since Governor Obado took over the reins seven years ago.
- They noted that Kuria East and Kuria West constituencies, for instance, have been marginalised in the development agenda of Migori County.
- Nominated MP Dennitah Ghati said that it is under Obado that Kuria missed out on the World Bank funding.
A group of Kuria women leaders has turned the heat on embattled Migori Governor Okoth Obado calling for his immediate impeachment.
Under the name, Kuria Women Professionals, the group castigated the casual manner in which the county's MCAs have handled the impeachment process.
The women leaders, led by former women representative Dennitah Ghati and commissioner Lilian Mahiri Zaja, slammed leaders from the region for not speaking out against alleged corruption at the county government. They noted that the county has suffered from poor leadership since Governor Obado took over the reins seven years ago.
This, they said, has negatively impacted the county development, especially among the minority communities.
Era of devolution
"It is disturbing that in this era of devolution, hospitals in Kuria are in devastating conditions forcing women to travel long distances to either Migori or Kisii to get basic services like Caesarean Section delivery," said Ms Ghati.
"On this note, we demand that all MCAs listen to the people’s voice and do the right thing- remove the governor from office," she added.
The nominated MP said they are behind the constitutional position and the court’s decision that the governor keeps off the management of county affairs until the matter is determined.
"Further, we call upon relevant government agencies to conduct investigations into corruption allegations and all those others found guilty be prosecuted accordingly," said Ms Ghati.
World Bank funding
They pointed out that two constituencies of Kuria East and Kuria West for instance, have been marginalised in the development agenda of Migori County.
Ms Ghati said that it is under Governor Obado that Kuria missed out on the World Bank funding that would have propelled development in the area.
She accused the MCAs, particularly from Kuria West and Kuria East of engaging the community in sideshows, in disregard of the big loss that the community has suffered for the past seven years.
"To date, our women are crying for security lights to enable them sell their wares and boost security, yet all our MCAs can do is support and accumulate wealth through dubious means without considering the plight of the Kuria women and men who voted them to the assembly," she said.
Decent income
On her part, Ms Zaja said that despite allocation of resources from the government and the donor community for development purposes, the trickle-down effect to the Kurian woman has not been felt because of corruption.
This, she said, has denied the women of Kuria and Migori County at large, a decent income and a dignified livelihood.
"We as women professionals now say enough of the sideshows. Just like other counties, we need good governance in Migori, quality infrastructure, well equipped and functioning healthcare facilities and improved development in our sub-counties including targeted programmes aimed at empowering women," said Ms Zaja.
