Migori County Senator Eddy Oketch has said that the Senate will continue to fight for the rights of Members of the County Assembly (MCA’s) to ensure they are properly remunerated.
Oketch, who addressed the Migori MCAs on Wednesday at the Migori County Assembly chambers said that the MCAs should be paid better to enable them to play their important oversight role.
“You cannot oversight an executive that earns more than the county assembly representative because it makes the house inferior to the executive branch”, affirmed Oketch.
In June this year, senators joined MCA’s in their push for better remuneration gross monthly salaries increase to Sh.397,320 from the current Sh.144,373. The senators also demanded a lift on orders quashing the MCA’s siting and mileage allowances as well as the Sh.2 Million car grant.
The MCAs revived the push in May this year to have their salaries enhanced by 27 percent from the current 16 percent.
Oketch expressed that MCA’s should be treated equally as other national leaders as they play a critical role in taking care of billions disbursed to the counties.
The senator added that the county assembly should not be weaker than the executive because it would undermine the crucial oversight mandate as enshrined in the constitution.
Oketch emphasized that there was a need for a stronger and independent county assembly to ensure that MCAs perform their function.
He also said that MCA’s welfare in terms of pension scheme and medical cover should be able to match those at the national level to give them a better package for the work they do.
He pinpointed that the Senate house will also champion an independent financial account for the MCAs to enable them to finance projects at ward levels.
He, however, noted that there was a need to improve the relationship between the Senate and the County Assemblies to ensure devolution is fully implemented.
The Migori Senator also explained that devolution can fully be implemented if the Senate and the county assemblies can work together to enhance and strengthen social and economic development in the counties.
He pointed out that the Senate and the county assemblies were key in devolution implementation and a link between the two levels of government in terms of devolution, accountability, and resource allocation.
“Let the senators and MCA’s convene time to time to review goals and expectations of the county revenues, development, and allocations in order to serve our people better,” noted Oketch.
He stressed that the Senate was key in ensuring the counties get additional funds for development in order to benefit the citizens.
In 2023/2024 Migori County’s budgetary equitable allocation rose from Sh.8.01 billion to Sh.8.34 billion, a Sh.336.4 million increase from the previous budget of 2022/2023.
Oketch was accompanied by Homabay Senator Moses Kajwang, Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka, Kitui Senator Enosh Wambua, and Kirinyanga Senator Kamau Murango among other nominated senators.
The senators encouraged the MCAs to continue working with the executive to ensure the county achieves socio-economic development.
