This archive report was first published on 18 September 2019.
On September 18, 2019, MCAs in Homabay County made history by unanimously rejecting the Punguza Mizigo Initiative, a move that follows a similar rejection in Muranga County.
The initiative, proposed by Thirdway Alliance's Ekuru Aukot, aimed to change the Constitution to require state officers to step aside once charged by the Auditor General.
However, the MCAs, led by Justice and Legal Affairs Committee chairman Okuku Miregi, expressed fear that the proposed changes would put their jobs at risk.
"The bill has gone through all the required processes before presented to the assembly. MCAs have an obligation to reject or adopt it," Miregi said.
Miregi's committee had made a decision not to allow the proposed constitutional changes to go through, citing concerns over job security.
"We have made several leadership changes in this assembly over mistakes done by predecessors. If we adopt the bill, some of us will carry the crosses which don’t belong to them," he said.
Additionally, several MCAs stated that they did not want to go against their party, ODM, which had directed them to reject the Bill.
ODM chairman John Mbadi, Homa Bay woman representative Gladys Wanga, and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma had all urged the MCAs to reject the Bill.
