Ten Nyamira MCAs expelled for missing eight consecutive sittings
The removal of the ten adds fuel to the already boiling crisis in Nyamira County Assembly, which has in recent months been split into rival camps each with its speaker and clerk. The fate of the assembly remains uncertain as legal and political fights drag on.
Nyamira County Assembly on Monday made a record move by ejecting ten of its members for missing eight consecutive sessions, in what has become the biggest single-day ouster of MCAs in Kenya’s devolved units since 2013.
The affected include two elected MCAs Nyambega Gisesa (Rigoma) and Joel Ombongi (Bokeira) both elected on the UPA party ticket, whose party leader is Governor Amos Nyaribo.
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The rest are nominated: Martha Marua (ANC), Janerose Nafula Nyakundi (ODM), Jeriah Nyakangi (UPA), Zipporah Matundura (Wiper), Elijah Abere (UPA), Edina Obara (UPA), and Beatrice Onyancha (UPA).
The decision was made during a special sitting, where a report by the Powers and Privileges Committee chaired by Bonyamatuta MCA Julius Matwere was adopted.
The report found that the ten had breached the Powers and Privileges Act, 2017 by not attending the gazetted assembly for eight sittings.
Speaker Thadaus Nyabaro, while making the ruling, announced that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) would be officially notified to declare the seats vacant.
“This is in accordance with the law. Once IEBC is informed, the process of filling the positions will begin,” Nyabaro stated.
The MCAs removed are allies of former Speaker Enock Okero and have been operating outside the official assembly building under what they called Bunge Mashinani.
This group had for eight months continued to hold parallel sessions while the Nyabaro-led faction conducted official business in the assembly chambers.
The High Court in Bomet three weeks ago ruled that the Bunge Mashinani sittings were illegal and recognised the group sitting in the main assembly as legitimate.
The court also ordered that those who conducted business under the outlawed forum be made to refund public money used in those sittings.
Despite the ruling, Okero’s team has appealed the decision at the Court of Appeal in Nakuru, with the case set for hearing on July 23.
Magwagwa MCA Abel Mose and Lameck Onyancha Nyakianga (Itibo) narrowly survived the expulsion, having missed seven and six sittings respectively one and two short of the required threshold.
Ombongi and Gisesa, who were physically present during the special sitting, dismissed the action against them as a political witch-hunt meant to isolate Governor Nyaribo’s allies from the Assembly.
“This move is meant to create space to have Governor Amos Nyaribo impeached, but let them be told that the political wars have now started,” Ombongi said.
The removal of the ten adds fuel to the already boiling crisis in Nyamira County Assembly, which has in recent months been split into rival camps each with its speaker and clerk. The fate of the assembly remains uncertain as legal and political fights drag on.
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