𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐀 𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓

𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

The Mombasa County Assembly and HURIA held a critical follow-up meeting to assess progress and chart a clear way forward, picking up from where the two partners had left.

Setting the tone for the engagement, the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr. Salim Juma, called for a focused plan to achieve the partnership's set objectives. HURIA's Executive Director Yusuf Lule  reaffirmed the organization's commitment to review the recommendations and findings, listen to the Assembly's priorities, and provide necessary support where possible.

Petitions took center stage. The Clerk posed a key question: since the last engagement, have there been any emerging issues relating to petitions? The latest case — a petition by the Likoni Estate Welfare Group committed to the Lands, Housing and Urban Planning Committee — brought the underlying challenges into sharp focus.

While the Assembly's Standing Orders provide clear and explicit directions on handling petitions, both parties acknowledged deeper systemic gaps that HURIA sought to unearth.

Part of the challenge, it was noted, may be anchored within the committee system itself, prompting a proposal to organize cross-learning with other County Assemblies. The Mombasa Assembly currently has 23 Committees — 12 Select and 11 Sectoral.

Critical questions were interrogated: What criteria was used to establish the number and type of committees? The Standing Orders. Does the number correspond with the functional departments of the Executive? Yes. Are there overlaps or duplication of mandates? No.

The discussion further probed what happens when two committees oversight one department — a scenario that does occur occasionally. It was however established that the average membership per committee stands at 9 to 11 members, which was deemed adequate. Committees operate with clear terms of reference as stipulated in the Standing Orders, have annual work plans, especially the sectoral ones, and are properly constituted.

A lingering question that emerged was whether an MCA should chair more than one committee.

On representation, the meeting noted that leadership and party balance remain key considerations, optimized based on best practice and continuous training.

On Human Resource and Technical Capacity, it was confirmed that each committee has a dedicated Clerk and technical staff, with access to legal counsel, budget analysts and sector experts. Both parties agreed that frequent capacity building for technical staff remains critical.

Regarding workload, committees hold a minimum of four meetings per month, translating to about 16 per committee member as per SRC regulations, though sittings are largely agenda-driven. A key performance indicator is the number of reports each committee has produced.

The assessment also examined: How many site visits or inspections has a committee conducted? How many oversight actions — summons, investigations and inquiries — have been undertaken? What proportion of planned activities in work plans are implemented? The status was reported as substantial, including meetings and public participation. For petitions, the average turnaround time stands at 60 days.

Key findings by HURIA revealed that *petition registers largely function as administrative records rather than comprehensive accountability tools.* Critical stages, including committee deliberations, Assembly decisions and implementation of recommendations, are often not documented. Inconsistent record management limits transparency and public accountability, while weak monitoring systems make it difficult to determine whether petitions are resolved within reasonable timelines.

The meeting flagged *limited resources as a cross-cutting constraint* and posed the hard question of whether the Executive implements recommendations contained in committee reports.

Speaking on Oversight Effectiveness and how to measure one Assembly against another, Deputy Clerk, Ms. Christine Mududa, noted that under the Constitution, the three pillars are Legislation (Bills), Representation and Oversight — as evidenced by County officials being summoned by committees.

In her closing remarks, Ms. Mududa thanked both teams for the engaging session and urged them to endeavour to achieve more. Both parties agreed to sustain the momentum, with a proposal to set a date for the next meeting.

The message was clear: moving from paperwork to real accountability.