![Lamu County Assembly Rejects Deputy Governor Nominee James Gichu in Split Vote.By Abdulrahman Hassan The Lamu County Ass...](https://img3.medioq.com/434/481/1111210514344813.jpg)
31/10/2024
Lamu County Assembly Rejects Deputy Governor Nominee James Gichu in Split Vote.
By Abdulrahman Hassan
The Lamu County Assembly has rejected the nomination of James Gichu, the current County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Agriculture, for the position of Deputy Governor. This decision comes in the wake of the recent vacancy left by the late Deputy Governor Raphael Munyua, who passed away last month due to health complications.
The vote in the Assembly resulted in a tie, with 9 Members of County Assembly (MCAs) supporting Gichu's nomination and 9 opposing it. Due to the lack of a majority, the Speaker was compelled to reject the nomination in accordance with Assembly protocol.
“It was a split decision, and no debate was held on the motion, nor were reasons provided by the MCAs for their positions. The Speaker ultimately decided to reject the nominee,” stated Majority Leader Bwana Bunu in a press briefing.
Nominated MCA Ahmed Medo confirmed that the Speaker's ruling was a necessity due to the stalemate, highlighting that the tied vote automatically led to the rejection of Gichu’s nomination.
Following this rejection, Lamu Governor Issa Timamy now faces a 14-day deadline to either propose a new nominee or persuade the County Assembly to reconsider his initial choice. This development is anticipated to spur significant lobbying efforts among local leaders, especially from Mpeketoni, the late Deputy Governor Munyua's home region.
ENDS