Angry Nairobi MCAs have vowed to stall all county government business if the executive fails to state when the bursaries will be disbursed.
Acting County Assembly Speaker Chege Mwaura on Tuesday said that the assembly will no longer be held at ransom by the executive over the issue.
"If they will not give us a comprehensive undertaking on the issue we will go ahead and stall government business starting tomorrow," he said.
Drama unfolded in the assembly a few minutes before the afternoon session began as a section of MCAs stormed out of the chamber protesting over the delay of bursaries.
In solidarity, the MCAs walked out shouting Bursaries! Bursaries! leaving the house leadership and a few members inside the chamber.
Last week, the MCAs had pledged to boycott all plenary sessions this week until the executive release funds meant for bursaries.
The legislators said the executive was taking the assembly for a ride over the bursary issue whose forms were released last year in December.
It was revealed last week that the Controller of Budget was given orders not to release the bursaries until the unaccounted Sh90 million is explained.
Highrise MCA Kennedy Oyugi accused the executive of deliberately refusing to give out the bursary fees.
"We want to urge our Governor as much he is involved with other matters such as team Wanjiku in Machakos and Ruiru, he should come back and look into issues affecting Nairobians," he said.
Kayole Central MCA Jeremiah Themendu said some of the needy children depending on the bursaries had been sent home and the executive is busy playing chase and run over the issue.
"Bursaries are for all the needy children in Nairobi and the executive should hinder them from accessing education. Bursaries should be released," he said.
Minority Chief Whip Peter Imwatok said that the house leadership together with the liaison committee which includes all chairperson of the 22 committees should make sure the bursary issue is solved.
"We cannot assume as a house that the members who walked out and us being inside that everything is in order. Mr Speaker, let us have a sitting of all members to address this issue in a civil way," he said.
Deputy Majority leader James Kiriba said the MCAs would rather lose their seats than be lied to about bursary funds.
Minority Leader Elias Otieno said that he should handle the bursary matter with seriousness.
"Let us not call the MCAs who walked out rebels because we know some are looking at bursaries to get re-elected. But if this continues like this, all of us will walk out and look at you as a betrayer," he said.
Last week, Deputy Speaker John Kamangu had directed the assembly’s Finance, Budget and Appropriation Committee to look into the bursary issue and report back to the house on Thursday.
In addition, the Finance, Budget and Appropriation Committee chairman Robert Mbatia informed the house that the committee will be meeting the executive on Wednesday morning over the issue.
"We resolved to meet the Controller of budget, County Executive Member for Finance, chief officer for Finance, County Attorney and all officers in charge of payments and officials from Co-operative bank involved with a bursary," he said.
However, it was revealed that Chief Officer for Finance Halkano Waqo vowed not to return to the assembly until the speaker assured him of his safety.
Last week, he was roughed up by some angry MCAs over the bursary issue. Mbatia stated that the assembly was in confusion over blame games being played by the executive.
"The house is in confusion in that every time the executive is called they blame other parties not present in the committee. But as a committee, we want to assure the house that on Thursday we shall point out the main culprit involved in the delaying the bursaries," he said.
Mwaura instructed Mbatia to bring back a brief report on the meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
