• Arivitsa had denounced Chege Mwaura as the acting speaker of Nairobi County Assembly in Kisumu.
• She claimed she is being targeted because of her choice to stand with Speaker Beatrice Elachi.
Image: MAUREEN KINYANJUI
Nominated MCA Mary Arivitsa was on Thursday suspended for 30 plenary sittings for demeaning the office of the speaker.
She is pro-Speaker Elachi who was impeached by MCAs but reinstated by a court. MCAs still reject her.
This will be the second time within a year that Arivitsa has been suspended.
In February, she was sent home for 21 days for unethical conduct on September 25 last year when MCAs elected Chege Mwaura as the acting speaker.
She disrupted the assembly's proceedings by shouting and rolling on the floor.
The latet suspension follows Majority leader Abdi Hassan Guyo's statement on April 23 reporting alleged misconduct by Arivitsa during the County Assemblies Forum held in Kisumu.
As a result, the assembly's Power and Privilege committee led by chairman Naftali Mathenge held an eight-sitting inquiry and nine witnesses testified.
An audio clip was presented as evidence.
"The committee found a strong inference can be made that the MCA acted in a manner to demean the office of the speaker," Mathenge said on Thursday.
He added, "The committee also finds that Arivitsa lied in her witness testimony that she did not attend the conference on that day contrary to irrefutable evidence on record that she did sign her attendance with sergeants-at-arms."
I'm very sorry and I stand here to say that I never said anything. I did not do anything wrong and never did I speak when the speaker spoke.Nominated MCA Mary Arivitsa
As a result, the committee recommended that the MCA be suspended for 30 plenary sittings upon adoption of the report.
The House holds plenary sittings three times a week, meaning she is likely to come back in September.
Arivitsa is also not supposed to attend any committee sitting within the premises of the assembly or outside.
She will also not be earning her per diem of committee sittings and for plenary attendance which is normally Sh3,000 per sitting.
Deputy speaker John Kamangu, who read the recommendations, also said after serving her suspension, Arivitsa shall formally apologise to the assembly.
It was also recommended that the committee shall conduct vigorous training for all members on conduct, powers and privileges.
Before she was escorted out by the sergeant-at-arms, Arivitsa apologised to the house.
"I'm very sorry and I stand here to say that I never said anything. I did not do anything wrong and never did I speak when the speaker spoke," she said.
Image: MAUREEN KINYANJUI
Majority leader Abdi Hassan Guyo said no MCA is above the rules the House.
"The issue touches on integrity and not at any time should members be allowed to disrespect the rules of the House. This is a house of procedures and not a market," he said.
Guyo further termed Arivitsa's behaviour as displeasing and "cannot be tolerated further and if it was another member in her situation the same would apply to them".
He said her suspension will send a message to other MCAs "who think that they can disrespect the House".
Minority leader Elias Otieno said he could not save his member because "her conduct has been wanting".
However, he urged the committee not to be biased and also look into various different instances where some MCAs got physical with one another.
"Discipline is a must and this does not only apply to one member but across the houses. The committee should exercise its duty without any bias," he said.
felt the suspension was harsh urged the committee and the leadership tobe forgiving.
Arivitsa has over time said she is being attacked by the house because of being in support of Beatrice Elachi as the speaker of the assembly.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)