Kisumu: 22 MCAs skip induction ahead of county assembly speaker’s election
Only 25 out of 47 MCA elects in Kisumu County attended the induction ceremony at the assembly.
Twenty-two others absconded the orientation and were said to have taken a retreat in Nakuru County.
Although all of them were invited to attend, it was not known why some opted to keep off.
But the clerk of the assembly Mr. Owen Ojuok did not postpone the exercise.
He said that upon noticing they had the quorum, they decided to carry on with the orientation program as planned.
He disclosed that they will proceed to hold the swearing-in ceremony and thereafter elect the speaker and other House Committee members.
It emerged that some of the MCAs who absconded the induction ceremony were on a retreat to plot for the election of the county assembly speaker.
Already, six candidates applied to contest for the seat.
They are Elisha Oraro, immediate former speaker, one-time majority leader Samwel Ongou and Kisumu-based lawyer Sam Onyango.
The others were yet to return their nomination papers and we're time-barred, Owen said.
Majority of MCAs allied to Oraro and some to Onyango, yesterday attended the induction.
But those allied to Ongou retreated to Nakuru and said they would only be at the assembly on Tuesday to be sworn in and to elect the speaker.
Owen said it was up to the MCAs to decide on who to elect, but they will carry out free and fair democratic nominations.
So far he said they were ready with all the necessary ballot materials.
