Today is day two of the hearings by the County Assembly of Taita Taveta on the proposed 2020 county fiscal strategy paper, a document which guides the County Budget process.
Currently the County assembly is hosting the Executive department of Youth , Sports , Vocational Training and Social Services,
The county assembly will Later hold hearings with the departments of Trade Tourism, Culture and Cooperatives and Education and libraries.
The County Assembly of Baringo,Agricultural committee today paid a courtesy Call to the Office of the Speaker,County Assembly of Taita Taveta.
The Contingent that comprised of the Members of the County Assembly and county Assembly employees was in the County for benchmarking purposes.
The team later went to the County assembly Chambers for briefings where they interacted with members of the County Assembly and members of staff.
The Hon.Members of the County Assembly of Taita Taveta have today started conducting sectoral hearings on the proposed 2020 county fiscal strategy paper, a document which guides the County Budget process.
The CFSP 2020 sets out the framework for the preparation of the 2020/21 budget in accordance with section 117 of the Public Finance Management Act,2012 .
It gives the
performance of the County government expenditure and revenue collection for the first and second quarters of the financial year in progress and sector ceilings which represent the budget limits for all county departments.
Today department of lands, Public service and Administration and Public works, Transport and infrastructure defended their sectoral ceilings before their respective county assembly sectoral committees.
The three departments while defending there performance for the last 2 quarters as captured in the CFSP and the department’s ceiling for the coming financial year vowed to prioritize development so that Datuzens can get better services to uplift their socio-economic status.
Tomorrow,the County Executive department of Youth , Sports , Vocational Training and Social Services, Trade Tourism, Culture and Cooperatives and Education and libraries will meet with their sectoral Committee for the same exercise.
Taita Taveta Members of County Assembly have unanimously passed a motion on priority consideration on current recruitment exercise by County Public Service Board.
The motion mover Hon. Anselm Mwadime MCA Mwanda Mghange ward, said the County public Service Board is currently undertaking a recruitment exercise for various county positions including Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) instructors and Early Childhood Development Education Centers ( ECDE) hence priority should be given to qualified and experienced candidates.
Hon. Mwadime noted that the County Government, department of Early Childhood Education and Libraries had terminated contracts of long serving instructors and tutors who were employed on casual basis hence priority should be given to them.
“Mr. Speaker some of these instructors and tutors served for many years as casuals before their contracts were terminated which over time gained them vast experience making them highly qualified,” said Hon. Mwadime.
The legislator said immature termination of the contracts as psychological torture to the instructors and tutors since most of their properties were auctioned by financial institution to settle their outstanding loans.
He asked the County Assembly to resolve that the County Public Service Board to give priority to those who served prior as casuals and employ them.
Also contributing to the motion Leader of the Minority Hon. Ronald Sagurani said Early Childhood Education was elementary foundation to any educated individual thus the tutors should be respected and recognized by the county government for their crucial role they play in the education sector.
Hon. Sagurani also said the County Assembly should resolve and make the board to upward review salaries of the tutors since most of them were underpaid.
Special elected Member of County Assembly Hon. Catherine Mwakiwiwi said most of the ECDE tutors have spent a lot of money to further their studies and get the required qualifications to secure employment with the county government hence female tutors should also be considered.
“Mr. Speaker this is a very involving job that is mostly done by ladies, being a lady I urge the board to consider these hardworking ladies,” said Hon. Mwakiwiwi.
Also contributing Hon. Lilian Kidali said the recruitment exercise should not discriminate anyone regardless of age and gender.
The Chairperson Committee on Public Investment and Accounts Hon. Christopher Mwambingu has today sought a Statement from the Chairperson, Committee on Trade, Industry and Co-operative Development on the construction of the new modern market in Mwatate.
Hon. Mwambingu said the World Bank in partnership with the County Government is set to construct a new market worth Ksh. 30 million in Mwatate Municipality.
The Legislator said that traders have rejected the County government move to relocate them to unknown area in a bid to pave way for construction.
“Mr. Speaker, there is a likelihood that traders will suffer as result of relocation because they don’t know the alleged proposed site they Executive intends to take them to. We can’t sit and watch our people undergo untold suffering like what happened to traders in Wundanyi. We will at all cost resist such plans,” warned Hon. Mwambingu.
He said the Municipality should consider the growth of the town by exploring land at Singila Majengo and other areas other than concentrating with only one place.
Hon. Mwambingu asked the Chairperson, Committee on Trade, Industry and Co-operative Development and his Lands, Human – Wildlife Conflict Resolution counterpart to furnish the House with satisfactory information on the following :
Wether the alleged Ksh. 30 million project is factual.
Whether the traders will be evicted from the current market and plans the two departments have to acquire land in Singila Majengo since the area is accessible and sub division exercise is currently underway.
Werugha bar operators have decried arbitrary closure of bars without notice by the County Executive.
In a Petition sent to the County Assembly, the bar owners said they are unable to service loans, pay rent, school fees and carter for family needs since their businesses were closed down on 29th January, 2020.
Majority Leader, Hon. Jason Tuja, who is also the area Member of County Assembly has said the move by the Executive is uncalled for and it has adversely affected other businesses including hotels and butcheries to a point of causing economic standoff in the area.
“Mr. Speaker, these bars have been operating since the year 1973 and the owners have been engaging in legal trade. They have been earning a living through these bars and closing them without notice is unfortunate,” said Hon Tuja.
Hon. Tuja expressed fears that the traders will continue languishing in poverty if the closure notice will not be lifted.
He asked the Chairperson, Committee on Trade, Industry and Co-operative Development to take up the matter with the seriousness it deserves by inviting the Executive department in charge to shed light on the subject raised by petitioners.
Hon. Godwin Kilele, MCA, Sagalla termed the move by the Executive unfair since the traders have been undertaking legal trade and are licensed.
Member of County Assembly (MCA) Hon. Abraham Juma has sought a statement from the Chairperson Committee on Lands and Human Wildlife Conflict on provision of original maps for Sagalla and Rukanga ranches.
Hon. Juma stated that the two ranches have a boundary row with the neighbouring Kasighau community expressing fears that the community risked being ejected from their ancestral land.
The Legislator affirmed that Sagalla ranch borders Mikamenyi, Gwaravindi, Kisimenyi -Matangini, Kale, and Kabombora villages while Rukinga ranch formerly known as Mayors ranch borders Sasenyi, Mwagwede and Makwasinyi villages.
“Mr. Speaker, these villagers have always lived in the above mentioned villages. It is shocking that the two ranches are now undertaking a survey in the various villages bordering the ranches claiming that the villagers have encroached into the ranches,” said Hon Juma.
He said the villagers are forced to part with Ksh. 200 for each head of cattle claimed to have trespassed the ranches, a fee which is unjustified and meant to subject the villagers into abject poverty.
The MCA asked the Chairperson of the relevant Committee to get in touch with the County Executive Committee Member in charge of Lands to halt the ongoing survey exercise until the issue is resolved amicably and at the same time present the original maps to the County Assembly for scrutiny.
The Chairpeson Public Investment and Accounts Committee (PIC and PAC) Hon. Christopher Mwambingu echoed Hon. Juma’s sentiments and said that land issues in the County are emotive hence should be given top priority.
Hon. Mwambingu said Kasighau residents have suffered land injustices in the past thus exposing them to land tussles which has left a number of residents landless.
The County Assembly Speaker, Hon. Maganga M. Maghanga asked the Chairperson, Committee on Lands and Human Wildlife Conflict to furnish the House with a report on the issues sought in a bid to avert future crisis in the expanse.
Members of the public are invited to submit memoranda on Taita Taveta County Fiscal Strategy Paper 2020 by 17th March, 2020
Taita Taveta MCAs want dialogue with Governor Samboja
The Taita Taveta County Assembly on Tuesday 16th July, 2019, unanimously approved the below listed nominees for appointment to the positions of County Public Service Board Members, pursuant to Section 58 (1) (a) (b) of the County Governments Act, 2012, the Public Appointments (County Assemblies Approvals) Act, 2017- Section 9 (2) and the Taita Taveta County Assembly Standing Order No.193(5) (g).
However, the House rejected the nomination of Mr. Wallace Mwaluma for appointment to the position of County Public Service Board Chairperson, pursuant to the provisions of the Public Appointments (County Assemblies Approvals) Act,2017, Section 9 (2).
The House resolved that, the appointing authority submits to the County Assembly for vetting and approval the name of another candidate for the position of the County Public Service Board Chairperson in conformity with Article 250 (4) of the Constitution of
Kenya, 2010, for consideration in accordance with the provisions of the Public Appointments(County Assemblies Approval) Act, 2017, Section 10 (1) and (2).