This archive report was first published on 31 October 2019.
On October 31, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta dissolved the Taita Taveta County Assembly, a move that has been welcomed by Governor Granton Samboja. The decision comes after a long-standing dispute between the governor and members of the assembly over the county's budget.
The impasse began in July 2019, when Governor Samboja refused to approve the county's budget for the 2019/2020 financial year, citing disagreements with the members of the assembly. The budget, which was valued at Ksh 5.6 billion, was a major point of contention between the two parties.
Despite the efforts of the Senate to mediate the dispute, the impasse continued, and the members of the assembly went ahead to impeach Governor Samboja in October 2019. However, the impeachment was short-lived, as the Senate found the allegations against the governor to be insufficient.
Following the dissolution of the county assembly, Governor Samboja expressed his gratitude to President Kenyatta for the decision, saying that it marked a new beginning for the county. The governor has since kicked off a signature collection exercise to mobilize support for the dissolution of the county assembly.
According to a tweet from the Office of the President, the dissolution of the county assembly was a result of a successful appeal by Governor Samboja to President Kenyatta. The tweet read: 'The Office of the President was represented by the Principal Administrative Secretary, Kennedy W. Kihara, CBS and Secretary, Legislative Affairs and Regulatory Compliance, Jasper Mbiuki.'
