Kisii Governor Simba Arati Faces Jail Time After MCA Drags Him to Court
Nyambega Gisesa, a Member of Parliament representing Rigoma, has submitted a petition to the Environment and Lands Court in Nyamira, Kenya. The petition calls for the arrest of Kisii Governor Simba Arati on grounds of contempt of court.
According to court papers reviewed by Gossipa2z.com on Monday, March 4, Gisesa also requested the arrest of Robert Ombasa, the acting County Secretary and Head of Public Service in the Kisii County Government, for identical reasons.
Gisesa requested the court to mandate the apprehension of the pair and imprison them for a duration deemed appropriate by the court.
As per the MCA, both individuals disregarded a decision issued on February 15, 2024, which affirmed that Keroka Town fell under Nyamira County. This ruling prohibited officials from Kisii County from collecting revenue in that particular area.
“Despite the court delivering a judgment on February 15, 2024, compelling each county to operate within its territories, the officers of Kisii County Government continue collecting the revenue along the area belonging to Nyamira County at Keroka Town,” Gisesa stated.
The County Government of Kisii was instructed to cease the collection of revenues from the town in the judgment, with county officials urged to stay within their designated areas of responsibility.
Nevertheless, Gisesa pointed out that on February 22, the authorities disregarded the directives and persisted in gathering income from merchants within the disputed region.
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Gisesa added that on March 1, the Governor issued umbrellas branded ‘Governor Kisii County Simba Arati’ in Keroka Town. This was another violation of the ruling made.
“The actions of the Governor Paul Simba Arati were interpreted to mean that he was still claiming that the aforementioned area was within Kisii County territory as later he redeployed the Kisii County Government enforcement officers to the area belonging to Nyamira County,” the MCA added.
On Sunday, March 3, reports indicated that Arati plans to relocate enforcement officers within Keroka Town. These officers allegedly interfered with business operations and obstructed Nyamira County officials from collecting revenue.
In the interim, as reported by a trader in the disputed town, he and fellow traders experienced dual taxation from both counties. The shoeshine vendor expressed astonishment upon witnessing authorities collecting market fees despite the court’s decision.
He purportedly experienced harassment and was compelled to give Ksh50 to the authorities in Kisii County. Subsequently, he was pressured to pay a similar amount to officials in Nyamira.
“On March 3, 2024, the peace in the town was disrupted, when the enforcement officers from Kisii County came and occupied the disputed area, locking out the Revenue collection officers from Nyamira County,” the trader explained.
Kisii Governor Simba Arati Faces Jail Time After MCA Drags Him to Court
