This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
On November 6, 2019, a four-month standoff between the County Government of Taita Taveta and its Members of County Assembly (MCAs) finally came to an end.
Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja assented to the supplementary budget estimates for the 2019/2020 financial year, which had been at the centre of the conflict with the MCAs.
The standoff began in June 2019 when Governor Samboja failed to approve the budget, leading to a motion to impeach him being tabled by Rong’e ward MCA Harris Keke and supported by 30 out of the 33 MCAs.
The MCAs cited various reasons for kicking out Governor Samboja, including failure to submit an annual report on the implementation status of county policies and plans, failing to address the county assembly, misappropriation of funds, and misleading the people of Taita Taveta.
However, the impeachment was suspended after Governor Samboja moved to court.
On his part, Governor Samboja embarked on a campaign for a petition seeking the county government to be dissolved, an appeal that was approved by the IEBC.
On Wednesday, as the Governor and MCA called an end to their standoff, IEBC announced that the petition seeking to suspend the county government had met the required threshold and had been forwarded to the President for further action.
The President is expected to submit a report on grounds to suspend the county to the apex intergovernmental body within 14 days.
However, with the apparent end of hostility between the Governor and Ward-Reps, the President could make a different move.
The approval of the Ksh.5.7 billion supplementary budget could see an end to the stalemate between the warring factions of Executive and the County Assembly.
