Bungoma Members of County Assembly (MCAs) have demanded to be exempted from paying parking fees within the county owing to the fact that they are representatives of the people.
The MCAs assert that it is wrong for the County Government to expect the Sh100 fee from them daily, saying that as lawmakers they should not be forced to follow the laws they establish.
Chesikaki Ward Representative Ben Kipkut went as far as stating that expecting them to pay the fee is undermining their legislative powers.
Bungoma County Revenue Director Ambrose Makokha, however, dismissed the demand saying that only Cabinet Secretaries and members of the diplomatic corps were exempted from the fee.
"MCAs, county ministers and chief officers must pay the parking fees. They are not immune to it," the Director stated.
The order did not sit well with the MCAs who threatened to use their legislative powers to reject a proposed County Finance Bill.
"The finance document has an ill motive towards MCAs who are the legislative arm of the county government. It does not capture our grievances. Why should we pass the Bill that will undermine us," Mr Kiput posed.
The MCAs had been invited for a plenary session to discuss the contents of the proposed bill before debates at the County Assembly.
"We are just taking them through the Finance Bill so that they can understand their role. The Bill is yet to be passed, some changes can be done," Chief Finance Officer Chrispinus Barasa told journalists.
The Finance officer added that they project a Sh731 Million collection in the new financial year with the liquor licence levy as an additional source of revenue.
