A PLEADING WANGAMATI UNLOCKS BUDGET STALEMATE, MCAS SAY NO TO VERBAL COMMITMENTS
In Summary;
- Wangamati’s MEMORANDUM on the approved Budget Estimates
- Budget office’s CANDID response to Wangamati’s Memorandum
- Kabula meeting ‘AGREEMENT’
- Why MCAs do not trust Wangamati
- Downloadable docs
A meeting convened by Governor Wycliffe Wangamati on Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at Kabula Pastoral Center to unlock a stalemate between the Executive and the County Assembly of Bungoma over Budgetary allocations was ‘successful’ following what is reported to be a moment-of-truth that Wangamati faced leading to his convening of this last minute meeting to plead with MCAs to approve the budget with little adjustments here and there as requested by the Executive
Prior to the meeting the embattled County 039 CEO invested heavily in lobbying which targeted all Nominated and Kabuchai MCAs. The embattled Governor invited them one after the other for a one on one meeting throughout the weekend, a move that seemed to have borne fruits by the time Wangamati met all MCAs yesterday. Most of the nominated MCAs teamed up with the usual pro-Wangamati to make a formidable lobby group that incorporated some Kabuchai Constituency Ward representatives to deliver a half-baked agreement… Their common lobbying line was “Wacha tuchukue hii 17 million tumuachie (Wangamati) 3 million”
The visibly defeated governor made an about turn from a Bakheba-ta hardliner’s stand to a seemingly consultation conscious leader declaring full recognition of the current Assembly leadership that he had earlier sworn not to recognize starting with Majority Leader Hon. Juma Nyongesa. Wangamati promised to constantly work in consultation with the Assembly forthwith
Downloadable doc 1; Budget Office – response to Governor’s memorandum on budget estimates fy 2020-21
Downloadable doc 2; Wangamati – Memorandum on the Budget Estimates for FY 2020-21
During the meeting the Summit an outfit that was formed to effect changes in the assembly leadership and therefore dethroned pro-Wangamati MCAs had an opportunity to encourage Wangamati to embrace consultations as opposed to chest-thumbing. They also warned pro-Wangamati MCAs against specializing in paying the governor visits loaded with gossips in favor of their stomachs at the expense of cohesion and team work between the Assembly and the Executive.
MCAs refused to work with Wangamati’s verbal and unprocedural agreement
WARD DEVELOPMENT FUND; Noticing that it was practically impossible to revisit the 13 million-per-ward conversation, the governor pleaded with the MCAs to agree to 17 million per ward. This is what they agreed to at Kabula Pastoral Centre in the 15-20 minute meeting that saw Wangamati put aside his drafted speech that was meant to convince MCAs to allow him take 3 million from each ward for his flagship projects. This move was advised by the four speakers who to addressed the meeting before the governor; The Speaker & his deputy and Majority Leader & his Deputy… They showed little resistance to the lobbied 17 million per ward
PRECAUTIONS;
After the MCAs arrived back at the Assembly, the SUMMIT convened and deliberated on the new development before coming to a conclusion that they might as well have been tricked and therefore needed have a legal backing to what they had ‘agreed’ to at Kabula as a cautionary measure.
They cited the following;
- Wangamati declined to assent to the Budget Estimates approved by the County Assembly of Bungoma
- He brought a Memorandum to the Assembly indicating his views on;
- Variation of Departmental Ceilings – Are full of exceeded ceilings
- Ward Based Projects – Wangamati refused to agree to a 20 million allocation per ward insisting that it should remain at 13 million
- Wages for Casuals – Wangamati claims the Assembly did not indicate reasons for reduction of the allocation by 30 million
- Areas for Considerations
- He then turns around and without making good use of the Kabula meeting to take time and PERSONALLY address the issue with a view of convincing them, he opted to make a 2-minute speech saying in part… “since you have all agreed, am not gonna read this speech” … to the amazement of the detail-conscious MCAs
- Any changes in the allocations dictate that the Committee needs to retreat again and deliver a report within 14 days. Upon approval by the assembly the Executive then would have another 14 days to assent to it… Totaling to 28 days
The Finance Committee therefore summoned the CECM Finance, Mrs. Esther Wamalwa to appear before it Thursday, August 20, 2020 to explain among other things the vote-heads they are going get funds finance governor’s proposals and to confirm that 17 million per ward will be spend as per agreed. In essence they want the governor’s pronouncements properly/procedurally documented before further engagements are made.
