Chaos erupted in Nandi County Assembly Chambers during the members voting session when Members of the County Assembly were subjected to decide on whether to adopt the controversial Ad Hoc committee report which reported glaring funds mismanagement gaps across departments.
Drama ensued when members who supported the motion disrupted the voting progress when they sensed defeat.
House speaker Cheruiyot Melly was whisked away from the chambers seat as members who supported the motion and those who opposed were embroiled in a fight and bitter exchange of words.
In a house of 44 MCAs, the supporters of the motion had garnered eleven against twenty votes from those who opposed in one of the most contested voting decisions at the Nandi assembly chambers.
If adopted, nine County Executive Committee Members, nine Chief Officers and three Directors would have lost their jobs for alleged financial misappropriation in their departments.
The Ad Hoc report tabled by Kapsabet MCA Benjamin Matata also recommended to Governor Stephen Sang to revoke the appointment of Nancy Cheruto as the Acting Chief Executive Officer/Secretary of the Nandi County Public Service Board and also suspend four other board members.
Further, the report called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to undertake investigations on the expenditure of the Nandi County Public Service Board for the period commencing 1st July 2022 to June 30th 2024.
The report accuses the county head of supply chain and finance chiefs for massive fraud in various awarded contracts, grossly violating Public Finance Management Act.
MCAs in support of the motion detailed how millions of shillings were allocated to projects in their Wards with little or sub-standard works and even certain projects never started.
Matata who chaired the 15-member Ad Hoc committee told the press after the failed vote that Nandi County lost an opportunity to turnaround the existing mess on project funding and desired results.
The MCA claimed some MCAs were compromised to shoot down the motion which had offered the best opportunity for the assembly to streamline glaring financial mismanagement in the county.
“Despite the report showing some glaring evidence on the operations of the Nandi County, how funds have been used, how laws have been violated. It is unfortunate to see honourable members who sworn to protect, to defend and to uphold the constitution, they are coming here to violate the same constitution,” Matata said.
According to him the state of the roads in Nandi County is pathetic and that some health facilities in various wards have closed down due lack of essential operation materials.
“The people of Nandi never went to the ballot to elect leaders but went there to elect political brokers,” he said.
Ezra Kipchirchir MCA Kurgung ward who voted against the motion said it was unfortunate the supporters of the Ad Hoc report in the house violently interfered with the voting progress after sensing defeat and yet it was a free and open process.
He said passing the motion would have disrupted the operations of the Nandi Government because those in charge of day to day operations will be affected.
The Ad Hoc Committee was formed to investigate the county top executives for possible violation of the constitution and laws during execution of their mandate.
