• A letter from Elachi to the party indicated a resolution had been reached by Jubilee MCAs in a meeting held in Mombasa to ring changes to the leadership in the assembly.
• MCAs had to be ordered out of chamber after almost three hours of chaos over Majority positions.
MCAs have asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and stop supremacy wars among Jubilee representatives.
Chaos reigned in the assembly on Monday morning as the MCAs fought over the occupation of the Majority leader’s office following changes announced by Speaker Beatrice Elachi last week.
Last Thursday, Elachi said in a letter to the party Jubilee MCAs had in a meeting held in Mombasa resolved to change the leadership in the assembly.
The letter indicated that changes were sought by Governor Mike Sonko good working relations with the assembly.
Nominated MCA June Ndegwa was to replace Chief Whip Chege Waithera (South B) deputised by California’s Hassan Abdikadi.
Majority leader Abdi Guyo was to be replaced by Dandora 3 MCA Charles Thuo who was to be deputised by Ziwani’s Millicent Wambui in place of James Kariba (Riruta).
The proposed changes were opposed as unconstitutional by the MCAs.
Monday's fracas started in the Majority leader’s office at 9am as MCAs from both sides jostled to be in the office.
The door to the Majority leader’s office was brought down and tear gas was lobbed in the office.
The MCAs and the assembly staff fled to the washrooms to douse their faces.
The chaos attracted the attention of police officers who were on the premises to keep order during the registration of the delegates for the ICPD 25 Nairobi Summit which starts on Tuesday.
Central Police Station Criminal Investigations Officer Samuel Kobina intervened and ordered all MCAs to leave the assembly three hours later.
Guyo said the assembly was too chaotic and asked the national government to dissolve it.
“I’m requesting the party to call for a caucus to solve this issue once and for all. The members' concerns should be addressed and those who want to vote me out can follow the law and if defeated, I will support who whoever will be chosen by members,” he said.
Blame games
The two sides blamed each other for the chaos bringing rowdy youths in the premises.
Guyo said the youths confronted him as was walked to his office. He claimed that those youths were present during the chaotic return of Speaker Elachi.
“It is very sad that the county is turning into a place of hooliganism and we are asking the national government to ensure that members' security is guaranteed all the time.
"It is also ironic that the majority of members who want me out of office are Nasa MCAs yet I am a Jubilee MCA. If those from Jubilee want me out so bad let us convene as a party and I know they will be surprised,” he added.
Chief Whip Waithera Chege accused Elachi of bringing disunity in Jubilee Party.
“She wants to lead this assembly through anarchy instead of following the law. She should not support any violence in this assembly,” Chege said.
Dandora 3 MCA Charles Thuo accused Guyo of being behind the chaos and attacking him with pepper spray.
“I was already in office when Guyo walked in with a few members."
Thuo claimed that 46 out of 65 members voted for him to take over the Majority leader’s seat.
“Members voted for me because Guyo went against the court orders barring Elachi’s comeback and he claimed Governor Sonko was after his life. How can you be a Majority leader when you claim the government is after you?’ Thuo asked.
He claimed that Guyo does not have a certified appointment letter.
However, a letter dated September 7, 2017, from Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju indicated that Uhuru had appointed Guyo as the Majority leader deputised by Kiriba and Chege Mwaura as the Majority Chief Whip deputised by Waithera Chege at a meeting held on September 2.
Ziwani MCA Mugadi condemned the ongoing wrangles and violence and said the assembly needs to move on.
She called on the DCI to investigate illegalities allegedly committed by the former County Assembly Service Board.
“The violence being meted on us is threatening and if this continues, then the assembly will have to be disbanded so we can have fresh elections. Some MCAs are even walking around with weapons and it is high time the party leadership intervened,” Mugadi said.
Edited by R.Wamochie