Hillary Mageka @hillarymageka

A section of Vihiga residents want President Uhuru Kenyatta to suspend the county government over alleged pilferage of public resources.

Led by former County Secretary Francis Ominde and activist Joseph Simekha, the residents accuse Governor Wilber Ottichilo of engaging in gross violation of the Constitution. 

They allege incompetence and dereliction of duty by Ottichilo and failure by Ward Reps to hold the governor accountable as some of the reasons they want the devolved unit dissolved. 

They have began collecting signatures in line with the County Governments Act, 2012. 

“In several instances, Members of the County Assembly are deliberately cooperating and collaborating with the governor and actively facilitating his commission of these violations in exchange for unlawful inducements,” Simekha said yesterday in Mbale town. 

They were speaking during the launch of the Vihiga County Citizens’ initiative to invoke Article 192(1) (b) of the Constitution to petition the President to cause the suspension of the Vihiga County Government, due to the prevailing exceptional circumstances. 

Ominde and Simekha also want Ottichilo declared unfit to hold public office, due to what they termed as numerous and persistent incidents of gross violation of the Constitution.