Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana during a past media briefing. [Photo/barakafm.org]
Governor Dhadho Godhana has suffered a major blow after the Tana River County Assembly rejected all his nominees to the County Executive Committee.The County Assembly Committee on Appointments rejected Godhana’s list of seven nominees, arguing that some had been placed in dockets of their specialty, while others had potential conflicts of interest.The Governor, who is currently out of the country, will have to submit a new list of nominees for consideration.However, the committee’s report, which was tabled in the assembly by Majority Leader Ibrahim Sala Adamow, was rejected by the minority side, which read malice in the rejection.Deputy Speaker Saddam Hussein, who appended his signature to the report, disowned and opposed it on the floor of the house, saying he did not know that signing it amounted to agreeing with the committee’s decision.Minority Leader Abdi Ergamso said he had declined to participate in writing the report and hence refused to append his signature to it on grounds that the majority decision was meant to marginalise some communities.Moving the motion on the report, Adamow said all the nominees had passed the integrity test under Chapter Six of the Constitution but did not exhibit knowledge and competence in the dockets to which they had been nominated.He said the governor’s list of nominees had not met the constitutional requirement of the two-thirds gender rule and did not include persons with disabilities.Adamow further said all the seven nominees failed to reach the committee’s set pass mark of 60 percent, with the highest, Mrs Mwanajuma Habwoka Hiribae (Water, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources), scoring 58 percent and the lowest, Mr Shukri Sugow Adhan scoring 34 percent.“The committee observed that the nominees did not exhibit impressive and sufficient knowledge of topical and legal issues touching on their dockets and have no requisite abilities, qualifications and experience,” he said.The committee members said some of the nominees exhibited arrogance at times attempted to lecture members during the vetting process at the Laza Leisure Lodge in Hola Town two weeks ago.Mr Adamow and Kinakomba Ward MCA Sammy Malibe said for the county to develop, it needed competent CEC members who did not have any potential conflicts of interest.“In the last regime, this house was a mere rubber stamp of the executive. We will not allow this to happen again because, in the end, it is this house that will be blamed if things do not go right,” said Mr Malibe.Rhoda Katisha Raha (Garsen South), Mohamed Gabo (Garsen West), Manasse Guyo (Kipini West) urged the governor to follow the law and laid down regulations in appointing members of his cabinet.Those who opposed the motion include Saddam, Ergamso, Kipini West’s Musa Wario and Hirimani’s Ismael Bodha Kodobo.