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Confusion as Kisii mayor polls cancelled

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Published on Sunday, 31 July 2011 00:00

CONFUSION reigned over the Kisii mayoral elections scheduled for today after the Ministry of Local Government blocked the elections. Permanent Secretary Karega Mutahi told reporters a letter sanctioning today’s election was illegal and had been withdrawn. Last week, the ministry’s secretary for local authorities’ administration P.R.O Owade instructed the council to hold elections today. “Further to our telephone conversation of today (6th), I have been instructed to inform you that the elections be held on Monday 11, July 2011 without fall,” he said. “The regional local government office, Kisumu, is hereby directed to supervise the elections,” Owade wrote to Town Clerk William Chepkwony.

The following day, Kisii mayor Samwel Nyangeso complained, in a reply to the ministry, that Owade was usurping the council’s powers. According to the mayor, it’s only a full council meeting which can set the date of election. “The Local Government Act does not at any time donate to you or your undisclosed principal to direct any such action as calling for mayoral election in the manner you have at all,” Nyangeso’s letter reads in part.

The mayor accused Owade of “furtherance of partisan politics” in purporting to dictate the election date. But yesterday, PS Karega said Local Government minister Musalia Mudavadi and himself held a meeting on Friday to discuss the matter. “We agreed with the minister the wording on Owade’s letter were wrong and ordered that the letter is withdrawn,” he added. Karega said instead they wrote to the council asking them to follow the right procedures. “We have since informed them that they can go ahead and hold a meeting (Full Council) which will then set the date for the mayoral election. 

He explained that the confusion arose after a faction of councilors petitioned the ministry to sanction the elections. “Some councillors came to the ministry asking if it was right to carry on the election and we told them to go ahead as long as there is a subsequent full council to agree on the date,” the PS added.

But a group of councillors led by finance committee chairman Alloys Moseti and Norman Nyamweya wanted the elections held today.
Tension is high at the council as the group insists that the elections will go ahead as planned. Nyangeso is also said to have obtained a court order to block the polls. He is facing stiff opposition from councillors unhappy about his crusade agaisnt land grabbing and corruption.