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MCAs pass regulation to hire personal assistants

Kinuthia

Transitional Authority Chair Kinuthia Mwangi. File

Elgeyo-Marakwet members of county assembly (MCAs) have passed a controversial Bill that will allow each to establish offices complete with staff that will draw monthly salaries from the county government.

The 20 elected ward representatives will each have a personal assistant, a secretary, driver, office assistant and a watchman who will be drawing monthly salaries from the county government.

The Bill says the electoral wards will open bank accounts where monies for development will be deposited and controlled by the office assistant. Apart from the office assistant, two other signatories appointed by the ward representative will be required to sign the cheques before money is withdrawn from the bank.

The staff will be hired on five year-contract or the duration the ward rep will be in office.

Transition Authority chairman Kinuthia wa Mwangi disputed the move to establish offices and hire staff, saying it was contentious and needed interpretation of other oversight authorities.

“Other bodies such us the controller of Budget, Salaries and Remuneration Commission, Commission for Implementation of the constitution [CIC] and us Transition Authority will have to come in to interpret the need for the MCAs to have offices and staff,” he said. He said other than Elgeyo-Marakwet, some county Assemblies had initiated similar moves while others were in the process to copy the same.

Apparently, the MCAs will now be similar to members of the national assembly MPs in each of the electoral Wards.