Rarieda Member of Parliament Otiende Amollo has castigated the Devolution Ministry’s plan to curtail international travel by County Government staff and County Assembly Members.
The Ministry issued a directive stating that the officers from the devolved units would be required to seek approval to travel abroad.
According to Amollo, County Assembly Members are part of a separate administration, which is not the national government.
He explained that to subject the MCAs to a Cabinet Secretary would be to subjugate them and make their governments subordinate to the national government.
He added that the idea to control MCAs trips abroad was understandable, however, that control should not be exercised by a CS but an independent office.
The move had angered the Council of Governors, who claimed that the national government was infringing on the independence of the county governments.
The MCAs will be required to disclose air ticket cost, accommodation, daily expenditures, visa fees, registration fees, and other extra expenses.
“In the case of MCAs, requests for travel approval must be attached by minutes of the respective Assembly Committee authenticated by the Speaker of the respective Assembly,” read the circular by Devolution Principal Secretary Charles Sunkuli.
At the end of an official visit, the delegation shall asked to provide a report as well as a recommendation for implementation to be shared across government and counties for others to learn from.
The communication made to County Assembly Clerks and County Secretaries warned that foreign workshops that required participation or registration fees would not be approved.