MCAs from Western are demanding Sh500,000 each to pass the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 2020.
They also want Sh2 million car grant given last week by the President released by Monday next week, failure to which they will not back the document.
According to the ward reps, the Election Act Section 22 must be amended to defer the commencement date of the mandatory requirement for MCAs to have degrees in 2022 or have it deleted all together.
Tom Adingo, MCA from Vihiga County, said they were broke and must be facilitated to popularise the BBI document at the grassroots level.
“We don’t have money to conduct public participation and you cannot just go to the people empty-handed,” said Mr Adingo.
His sentiments were echoed by his counterparts from Kakamega, Busia, Bungoma and Trans Nzoia who argued that the Sh300,000 they were promised as facilitation by President Kenyatta was too little.
The over 270 MCAs asked their governors to top up the money to at least Sh500,000.
They spoke at an event attended by Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, governors Wilbur Ottichilo (Vihiga), Sospeter Ojaamong (Busia), Wycliffe Wangamati (Bungoma) and Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula.
Also present were MPs Chris Wamalwa (Kiminini), Alfred Agoi (Sabatia) and nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi.
Mr Wamalwa said MCAs would play a critical role in the success of BBI because “you are where the rubber meets the road as far as BBI is concerned”.
He called on the five county assemblies in Western to speak in one voice. On the other hand, MP Wamalwa vowed to push for amendment of the Elections Act to allow MCAs who are not degree holders to vie in 2022.
The county chiefs claimed they were not aware that the president had promised to give MCAs any cash “but we shall follow up on the matter and in case your colleagues elsewhere have received the cash, we shall ensure you get your share,” Oparanya told the ward reps.
During the meeting, it emerged that MCAs from Trans Nzoia had already received at least Sh1.3 million out of the Sh2 million car grant but those from Kakamega and Bungoma counties they had not received a penny.
The governors promised to consult with speakers in their respective counties and have the MCAs receive their car grants without delay.
Mudavadi urged the MCAs to take the task before them seriously and pass the BBI document.
“BBI was just the process but the result is the Constitution Amendment Bill now before you,” he said.
According to Mudavadi, the current BBI document is a substantial improvement from the previous version.
Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli outlined the benefits of BBI to Kenyans and urged the MCAs to pass the document by next week.
“BBI will address the problem of winner-takes-all which was a recipe for violence after every election,” said Mr Atwoli, adding that the car grant was a done deal.
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