My removal as the Speaker should be procedural and lawful, says Oloo

 Embattled Kisumu County Assembly Speaker Onyango Oloo when he attempted to gain entry to the Assembly precincts but was repulsed by a section of the rowdy youth.He says his removal as the Speaker should be procedural and lawful-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

 By Dickson Odhiambo.

September 19, 2019.

My removal as the Speaker should be procedural and lawful, says Oloo

The Embattled Kisumu County Assembly Speaker Onyango Oloo has reiterated that he is the duly elected Speaker of the County Assembly of Kisumu despite being recently replaced and later impeached.

Oloo says his alleged removal at the County Assembly of Kisumu as the Speaker should be within proper procedure and lawfully executed.

Addressing the press in Kisumu today, Oloo maintained that he is still the bona fide Speaker of the County Assembly of Kisumu, adding that the employment of the Speaker is complete after the Kenya Gazet notice publishing such an appointment.

He adds that since he was elected and gazeted as the Speaker and the issue has not been degazetted, he remains the Speaker of the County Assembly of Kisumu in accordance to the law.

He has dismissed the yesterday’s move by a section of the Members of the County Assembly of Kisumu who impeached him, adding that the proper procedure as well as the law was not followed to do so.

Onyango says it is not a must that he be the Speaker at the County Assembly of Kisumu but was quick to add that he should quit if proper procedure is followed and no law violated.

He says the Assembly has not given him the opportunity to defend himself against the allegations leveled on him that has led to his alleged impeachment.

“A speaker can only be impeached if he has become bankrupt, Insane, gross violation of the constitution like abuse of office,” Oloo says.

He says the court case facing him currently has not barred him from continue serving as the Speaker of the County Assembly of Kisumu.

“The law says, one is innocent until proved guilty hence in my case I am still innocent until proven guilty on the issue that is currently facing me,” Oloo says.

Oloo says the current person purporting to be the Acting Speaker of the County Assembly of Kisumu is not provided for in law.

“If you check even the Kenya Constitution of 2010 and the County Government Act of 2012, there is no provision for Acting Speaking of the County Assembly,” Oloo says.

Oloo says in the absence of the Speaker of the County Assembly, a deputy Speaker, Chair Liaison or a member of the Speakers Panel can take his or her place but not an acting speaker that is not provided in the law.

Onyango claim that his proper stand on issue of championing for good oversight process is what is making him to be fought at all cost so that he be removed from the County Assembly of Kisumu.

“Cartels Championing Corruption are the ones out to ensure that I am not serving as the Speaker because I have streamlined the oversight at the County Assembly of Kisumu,” he adds.

He says he will look for a way forward to ensure that due diligence is followed on this matter.

Last week, the County Assembly of Kisumu elected Kisumu North Ward MCA Elisha Jack Oraro as an Acting Speaker after the embattled Speaker Onyango Oloo was arraigned in a court facing charges on corruption relating to the building of the Kisumu’s Lake Basin Mall.

Yesterday, he tried to gain access at the County Assembly precincts but rowdy youth blocked him thereby forcing the anti-riot police to lob tear gas canisters against the protestors.

The MCAs later impeached the besieged Speaker Oloo after about 42 of the voted for the impeachment motion.

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