By Sarah Omondi
Members of County Assemblies (MCA) who served between 2013 and 2017 have lost a Sh8 billion compensation bid over reduction of their office five-year-terms ahead of the 2017 polls.
The MCAs missed out eight months after the elections were held on August 8, 2017 instead of March 3 the following year.
Supreme Court judges upheld earlier Appellate Court decision to deny the ward representatives compensation saying while there was an eight month gap, the MCAs term in office ended by operation of the constitution.
The Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Martha Koome ruled that a public office does not vest in the holder of the office right to property of the said office.
“The holders of elective office vie and hold the said office not for their private benefit but that of constituents,” the judges explained.
The MCAs had filed the appeal through the County Assemblies Forum (CAF) after three Court of Appeal Judges quashed an earlier decision by the High Court that had awarded them the amount.
