Chaos at Machakos County Assembly as MCAs fight again

The supremacy battle at the Machakos County Assembly continues to paralyse sittings for three months in a row.

Trouble erupted in the chambers soon after the assembly speaker announced changes in the leadership of both the minority and majority parties.

The situation quickly turned chaotic when the speaker revealed she had received a letter reportedly from Wiper Party’s secretary naming Mathatani MCA Francis Kavyu, who was the deputy Minority Leader, as the new minority leader, replacing Judas Mbili Ndawa.

“Francis Kavyu, MCA Kinanie Ward, ceases to be the deputy minority party leader and is replaced immediately with Francis Ngunga. Changes in the majority party—similarly, honourable members, I am in receipt of a letter from the secretary of the Wiper Democratic Movement, Senator Shakila Abdalla,” Machakos County Assembly Speaker Anne Kiusya said.

“Because a lot of things will be affected... because now the speaker has powers to suspend the assembly on Standing Order Number 108, which allows her to suspend the sittings indefinitely, and so that would have the effect of affecting the budget-making process, supplementary budget, and other business that is supposed to come to the house," said Kibauni Ward MCA Paul Wambua.

The Speaker had suspended all sittings in April after a similar drama in the House that left three MCAs nursing injuries and Kiusya locked up in her office under police protection.

Two rival MCAs, one opposed to Kiusya, who were planning her impeachment, accused her of sneaking motions into the order paper, failing to complete projects started by the former Speaker, and denying MCAs office funds.

Those in the Speaker's camp accused the executive of engineering her ouster and insisted she would not vacate her position.

Similarly, those in support of Speaker Kiusya have accused Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti of having a hand in the wrangles and called for calm, vowing she will continue to serve.