- Lawyer Owiso Owiso is calling for the release of a report from the ad-hoc committee on revenue collection in Nairobi county
- Owiso questioned Nairobi City County Assembly Speaker Ken Ng'ondi about withholding the report four months after the committee finished its work
- He said the speaker is legally obligated to notify the clerk upon receiving the report so it can be tabled
CHECK OUT: No Location Limits! Master Copywriting from Anywhere in Kenya with Our Online Course. Enroll & Get Started Today!
Nairobi-based lawyer Owiso Owiso has written to Nairobi City County Assembly Speaker Ken Ng'ondi demanding the release of an ad-hoc committee report on the state of revenue collection in Nairobi.
In a letter dated September 5, 2024, the lawyer questioned the speaker for withholding the report four months after the committee completed its work.
When was committee formed to probe Sakaja’s revenue systems?
On September 11, 2023, the assembly resolved to establish an ad-hoc committee to investigate the county's local revenue collection systems and administration.
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see TUKO News on your News Feed
The eleven-member committee, established in November 2023, was tasked with reporting to the assembly within 60 days.
The committee was supposed to explain the reasons for declining local revenue collection, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the revenue system, and proposing legal, policy, and administrative measures to enhance revenue collection.
On February 14, 2024, Majority Leader Peter Imwatok moved a motion seeking the extension of the committee mandate for a period not exceeding 45 days.
The assembly granted this request, and the committee was ordered to table the report on or before 19 March 2024.
However, the majority leader requested an additional extension until April 2, 2024, which was granted. The speaker cautioned that no further extensions would be entertained.
On 2nd April 2024, the speaker confirmed that he had received the report but involved standing order number one, where he called for time to peruse the report but gave directions that the report would be tabled on 16th April 2024 at 2:30 pm.
" We note, with suprise that it is now over four months since you confirmed receipt of the report but you are yet to have it tabled before the assembly," part of the letter reads.
What did lawyer Owiso said about revenue collection report?
The lawyer informed the speaker about the stipulations of standing orders 196(5), 196(6), and 196(7), which detail the operations of an assembly committee and the deadlines for submitting the report to the assembly.
"To this end, we wish to inform your good self that you are standing in the way of a lawful legal process by literally hoarding a public report in your office," Owiso said.
In an interview with TUKO.co.ke, Owiso stated that the speaker is legally required to inform the clerk upon receiving the report so it can be tabled.
He noted that the matter is of significant public interest as it involves taxpayer money. He, therefore, requested an update on the report's status and the total cost incurred by the committee in fulfilling its mandate from the speaker.
He has demanded that the speaker either approve the tabling of the report immediately when the assembly resumes from recess or provide a timeline for its presentation.
"Take notice that should you fail to provide the information as demanded herein above within the stated timelines,we intend to take necessary legal action without further reference to you," he added.
The letter was also sent to Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja.
Nairobi MCAs turn away Sakaja's finance chief
Earlier, Nairobi MCAs said the county leadership had been evading pertinent questions concerning revenue collection.
County Executive Committee Member for Finance Charles Kerich, who appeared before the committee on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, was asked to return on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, with a detailed report on revenue collection in Nairobi over the past 10 years.
Concerns were raised about state revenue collection in the capital city, particularly during the period when the Kenya Revenue Authority managed it under the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).
MCAs were concerned that national government officials and City Hall may have colluded to misappropriate public funds.
Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke
Rebecca Cheptegei: Kenyans Mourn As Ugandan Olympic Athlete Set On Fire By Kenyan Lover Dies
Top Kenyan Psychologist, Marketing Guru, Bags Prestigious Award
Women Drive Innovation, Evolution Of Chinese Wine Industry
