Willis Otieno schools Osoro over MCAs’ ability to oversee governors
By Joel Masibo, August 20, 2025Lawyer Willis Otieno has criticised South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro after the legislator questioned the oversight role of Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) over governors in Parliament on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.
Osoro had argued that it was impractical for MCAs, who, according to him, earn approximately Ksh80,000, to effectively oversee governors who control budgets worth up to Ksh13 billion. He further suggested that Article 96 of the 2010 Constitution, which outlines the Senate’s role in protecting devolution, should be prioritised, claiming little was happening on the ground in terms of service delivery.
However, in a quick response, Otieno dismissed Osoro’s reasoning as dangerous, pointing out that the MP was confusing the concept of personal salary with institutional budgetary allocations.
“Governors do not earn Ksh13 billion. That is the county budget, not their payslip. If your legal mind can’t distinguish between a salary and a budget, then you’re not a ‘stupid lawyer’ but a dangerous one,” Otieno remarked via an X post on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.
Oversight and law
He went on to stress that the essence of oversight is rooted in law, accountability, and governance structures, not the size of a legislator’s pay cheque.
“The Constitution never said, ‘Thou shalt only be overseen by those who earn more than you,’” he said, adding that by Osoro’s logic, Parliament itself would be redundant since MPs earn far less than the national budget they scrutinise.
Otieno further ridiculed the MP’s argument by invoking the Auditor General’s role.
“Should we shut down the Auditor General because her salary is not equal to what she audits?” he posed rhetorically.
The outspoken lawyer also accused Osoro of trivialising governance debates with shallow comparisons.
“You are confusing arithmetic with governance. Next time, before you open your loud mouth, ask yourself, “Am I speaking as a legislator or as the village comedian?” Otieno said.
Osoro’s arguments on county expenditure come at a moment when President William Ruto recently promised to make devolution work at the grassroots.
The Head of State recently announced a major boost to Kenya’s county governments after signing into law the County Allocation of Revenue Bill 2025 and the County Public Finance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, at the State Lodge in Homa Bay on Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
Under the new law, the equitable share of revenue among the 47 counties will rise to Ksh415 billion, representing an increase of nearly Ksh30 billion from last year’s Ksh387.4 billion.