MCAs must be given their rightful respect
By Editorial.Team, November 23, 2023Last month, Members of the Meru County Assembly impeached, for a second time in few months, Governor Kawira Mwangaza. And for a second time, she was saved by the Senate in what some quarters call unclear grounds.
The Upper House has previously saved close to 10 governors and approved impeachment of only two—Mike Sonko of Nairobi and Kiambu’s Ferdinand Waititu. Of course, there have been unsubstantiated claims of compromise in reaching the decisions.
The law places the responsibility to impeach a rogue governor in the hands of the MCAs. However, the Senate, also, has a constitutional mandate to evaluate the grounds of impeachment, investigate accusations and present both the accuser and the accused a fair hearing before either endorsing or disapproving the impeachment of a governor by the MCAs.
However, the two mandates seem to clash and are not good for the entrenchment of constitutionalism, democracy and good governance.
It is unfortunate that the powers bestowed on MCAs at times can be dismissed on a whim by the senators, especially when there are claims of the Senate’s independence being compromised.
We, therefore, call for the protection of the constitutional roles of the MCAs, given they are an essential and indispensable pillar of devolution and development. They are the grassroots link between the populace and the State. It thus goes without saying MCAs are crucial players in the social, political, economic and administrative discourse.
Other than the apparent muzzling of their voice, MCAs have also gotten a raw deal on matters respect in public and personal security.
For instance, despite being crucial mobilisers for national events at the grassroots, often, they are rarely recognised during the actual events. At best, they only receive casual introduction and waving of hands to the constituents they mobilised.
On security, MCAs, just like their counterparts in the National Assembly and in the Senate, should be accorded the respect of people’s representatives and lawmakers.
Their role and responsibilities often attract hostilities from political rivals and other haters and thus deserve State security in form of bodyguards and firearms. They do not need to beg for it. They deserve it.