Commission of Inquity on dissolution of Makueni County pose a photo with Chiev Juctice WllY Mutunga after being sworn in Photo:Twitter

Members of the Commission of Inquiry on dissolution of Makueni County pose a photo with Chief Justice Willy Mutunga after being sworn in
Photo:Twitter

The Commission of Inquiry appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to look into the possible dissolution of Makueni County will commence its work on April 23.

The Mohammed Nyaoga- led commission which has already set up its offices at the Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC) and will begin receiving views from the public next week on Thursday at the Aberdares hall in KICC. It will also schedule hearings in Makueni County in order to encourage public participation as required by the law.

In a press statement released by State House this week, the commission will inquire into circumstances leading to the allegations that the County Government of Makueni has irretrievably broken with two governments operating parallel to each other.

The commission will also look into allegations that the county government is completely dysfunctional and cannot discharge its constitutional mandate after which it shall recommend legal or administrative measures that may deem necessary.

The commission has six months to perform its work and present the report findings to president Uhuru who will forward it to the senate for adoption or rejection.

More than 50,000 residents from the county last year presented a petition to the president to dissolve the county government owing to persistent wrangling between the Governor Professor Kivutha Kibwana and the Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) that almost brought the operations of the county government to its knees.

A shoot out at the county assembly premises that left six people injured including the County Chief of Staff Douglas Mbilu and the governor’s bodyguard William Kinoti further heightened the wrangling prompting the governor to call for the suspension of the county citing irreconcilable differences between him and the MCAs.

The commencement of the commission’s work marks a very crucial stage in the dissolution process and residents on social media have expressed varied opinions.

Proponents of dissolution including the governor argued that the leadership crisis in the county had gone beyond reconciliation and the only way to end the impasse is to grant the petition filed by the 50,000 residents.

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Others urged the commission to expedite the process, noting that even if dissolution is disruptive and painful,the die is already cas .

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However,those opposed to the process said that dissolution will not serve the interests of the common man.They accused those clamoring for dissolution of using the process to pursue selfish interests and urged the warring factions of the county government to reconcile.

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Whether Makueni will be dissolved will depend on the findings by the commission and the Senate’s approval of the same. If County is dissolved, it will be the first in the devolved units dispensation under Article 192 of the Constitution.