This archive report was first published on 2 July 2019.
On July 2, 2019, Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja kicked off a signature collection exercise to dissolve the devolved unit, citing harassment from the Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) over a Sh5.6 billion budget for the 2019/20 financial year.
Samboja, who is serving his first term as governor, said he had decided to petition President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve the county government, citing the MCAs' refusal to work with him and their slashing of the county budget estimates.
According to Samboja, the MCAs had denied the county government development by slashing the budget estimates, and he accused them of demanding 41.6 million shillings in each ward, which would force the county to disburse up to Sh830 million, exceeding the 3% limit provided by law.
Samboja also claimed that the county hospitals lacked adequate medical supplies, while the MCAs were demanding to allocate monies to less prioritized agendas.
However, the MCAs accused Samboja of allocating funds to his office, which he had failed to properly account for, and said he needed to work closely with the Assembly.
Samboja needs only 18,000 signatures to petition President Kenyatta to dissolve the county, which has 180,000 registered voters.
