Checkmate — Tension Builds up with This New Development at the Siaya County Assembly

It often happens in chess when a king faces inevitable capture. In that position, there’s no going back or ahead. It’s called checkmate and it happened today at the Siaya County Assembly.

On one hand, Speaker George Okode is not backing down and has shown determination to use Members of the County Assembly to expel his Deputy Andericus Oduor Odongo. A good number of the MCAs are heavily in Okode’s debt making it easy for him to carry out his impeachment decision.

On the other hand, a popular MCA who is close to the Executive is marshalling his troops to get back at the Speaker. Even if the Speaker succeeds in getting rid of his Deputy this group is capable of making things difficult for him from now going forward.

That the Speaker has chosen to proceed with the decision to expel his Deputy regardless of how unpopular the decision might sit with a certain section of power-brokers points at two things. One, George Okode has come of age and is testing the waters (for the second time) to see how much power he wields in the political landscape of Siaya.

Two, Okode might want to put in his rightful place a boisterous Siaya MCA who has been going around putting on airs and preening himself as the acting Deputy Governor.

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Whichever it is, the challenge is directed at the Executive and our informant reveals that the other side is ready and willing to play ball.

Like all immensely powerful people, George Owino Okode has made his fair share of enemies within the Assembly and at the Executive. Because of the authority he wields in holding the purse strings for the MCAs, he is held in equal measure love and loathing.
Having occupied the same office for eleven years he also holds a treasure trove of financial intelligence on his charges. So getting rid of his Deputy is not an issue, the issue is the subtle warfare on the sidelines.

To make matters worse there’s ambiguity in the law whether Oduor Odongo Andericus  ceases to be the Ward Representative for West Ugenya should he lose his Deputy Speaker docket through impeachment.

To stamp his authority on the assembly Okode may decide to purge rebellion by changing how MCAs are rewarded through appointments to committees and luxurious contracts from the Legislative budget.

And because a good number of MCAs are uncertain of re-election, allegiance to the Speaker and making hay while it lasts may be the prudent course of action.

So don’t be surprised when your MCA votes to impeach the West Ugenya Ward Representative Andericus Oduor Odongo; or even if Okode wins this round. Just watch this space, there’s  more coming…….