Lamu Governor Timamy back to drawing board as MCAs reject his deputy nominee.
Lamu County Governor Issa Timamy.
What you need to know:
- The motion for Mr Gichu’s approval had been tabled in the House on Wednesday afternoon.
- The motion constitutionally died as it failed to get a simple majority in the House vote.
The Lamu County Assembly has rejected Governor Issa Timamy’s deputy governor nominee James Gichu.
The motion for Mr Gichu’s approval had been tabled in the House on Wednesday afternoon by Majority Leader and Kiunga Ward Representative Bwana Mohamed Bwana.
After a consultative session on the discussion of the said motion, Speaker Azhar Ali Mbarak subjected it to an open vote without any debate in the House.
One ward representative, Mercy Wangeco, out of 19 was absent. Out of the 18 MCAs present, nine voted against the motion while another nine supported it.
As per the results, the motion constitutionally died as it failed to get a simple majority in the House vote.
A simple majority vote is a requirement that more than half (51 percent) of the members present support a motion or a bill for it to pass.
The decision by the county assembly to reject the nominee has sent Governor Timamy back to the drawing board as he works to replace the late Raphael Munyua Ndung'u who died on September 6, 2024, while receiving treatment in Nairobi.
Mr Timamy has the option of nominating either the same individual or making another choice to deputise him within 14 days.
On October 16, Mr Timamy announced the nomination of Mr Gichu and expressed confidence in his selection, saying it was a well-thought-out decision that involved wide consultations.
"After careful consideration and consultation with key stakeholders in our government and the community at large, the ideal person to take over the office of the Deputy Governor is my Agriculture CECM, James Gichu," Mr Timamy said.
The decision by the Lamu County Assembly to reject Mr Gichu has, however, been met with both praises and condemnations in equal measure.
Ahmed Yusuf, an elder in Lamu, said the House has the powers vested in them by the Constitution to either accept or reject any nominee no matter what and that people ought to respect that.
"I believe in the decision by our county assembly to reject Mr Gichu. I know for sure that it has tangible reasons behind all that, and everything is of benefit to mwananchi. Let's respect that," said Mr Yusuf.
Chairperson of the Scrap Metal Council of Kenya Francis Mugo challenged the assembly to explain why it had rejected Mr Gichu.
Mr Mugo praised Mr Gichu as the right nominee since he has served as the CECM for Agriculture in Lamu since 2022 and that he possesses all the qualifications necessary for the deputy governor role.
"We have had enough of procedural irregularities in that assembly and we're calling the MCAs to order. We're a country governed by law, and not by individual bigots who think they can dictate decisions. Your time of micromanaging institutions is over," said Mr Mugo.
Lamu Educationist Edward Mbuthia called on the Lamu MCAs to put their interests and politics aside and give Governor Issa Timamy his choice of the deputy governor.
Mr Mbuthia insisted that the deputy governor is the principal assistant to the governor and therefore, Mr Timamy was in his right mind in nominating James Gichu as the person who can mostly assist him deliver his mandate.
"Unless there are grounds that can prevent the nominated deputy governor from holding the public office. Personally, I hold Mr Gichu as the right choice for the good and unity of Lamu County," said Mbuthia.
