Machakos Assembly Speaker Anne Kiusya on Tuesday suspended Assembly sittings indefinitely following a day of drama in which Matungulu West MCA Raphael Nzau injured after two factions of MCAs fought in the Assembly.
"The Plenary and Committed sittings of the Assembly stand suspended until a time when the safety of the Speaker, Members and staff is assured. Members' official travels, both domestic and foreign, are also suspended," Ms Kiusya said in a statement on the day MCAs destroyed furniture as they exchanged blows on their first day after a recess.
Trouble started after one group of MCAs protested an attempt by the Assembly leadership to introduce the impeachment of Machakos Minority Leader Judas Ndawa.
Chaos grip Machakos County Assembly after clash over impeachment of speaker Anne Kiusya
Mr Ndawa is among a section of Machakos MCAs who have been agitating for the impeachment of Ms Kiusya.
“Mr Nzau sustained injuries after chaos erupted when we opposed an attempt by the Speaker to sneak a suspicious motion into the house business. Members have maintained that they are not ready to conduct debates under the leadership of Ms Kiusya. We shall not relent,” Machakos Deputy Speaker and Ekalakala MCA Stephen Mwanthi told reporters after the commotion at the assembly chambers, which dominated the day’s session.
The drama at the Assembly marked a fresh twist in a simmering row between two factions of Machakos County MCAs.
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti.
Photo credit: File | Nation
Mr Mwanthi is the face of MCAs who have filed an impeachment motion against Ms Kiusya. They accuse her of incompetence and corruption.
She has vehemently denied claims that she used public money to fly her daughter June Kilonzo to Europe and the United Arab Emirates two years ago.
This is one of the eight grounds contained in an impeachment motion against Ms Kiusya which Machakos Majority Leader Nicholas Nzioka has filed in the county assembly.
The MCAs allied to Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti also accuse Ms Kiusya of failing to recognize Judah Wewa, an ally of Ms Ndeti who sought a leadership position in the county Assembly.
They had warned that she should not set foot in the assembly after the High Court temporarily stopped the planned impeachment until a case filed by Ms Kiusya is heard and determined.
A section of MCAs who are opposed to the impeachment of Ms Kiusya have threatened to impeach Ms Ndeti, whom they accuse of engineering the impeachment of Ms Kiusya.
“Wavinya is incompetent and for that reason we shall send her home,” Kinanie/Mathatani MCA Francis Kavyu told the Nation in an interview.
The highlight of the tug of war between the two factions of MCAs was a scare a week ago after Muthwani MCA Dominic Maitha who had threatened to table the impeachment motion against Ms Ndeti went missing.
When he emerged from hiding the following day, he revealed he had taken cover at a Mavoko hotel after sensing that Ms Ndeti had deployed goons to harm him.
“When voting time comes, I shall stand with Ms Kiusya. The other team has no numbers,” Mr Maitha told reporters.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka intervened when MCAs threatened to kick her out last year. Mr Musyoka gave the issue a wide berth when he consoled a bereaved Machakos family alongside Ms Ndeti on Thursday last week. Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi had urged Mr Musyoka to keep off the current attempt to kick out Ms Kiusya.
“The matter at the Machakos Assembly is small. It is not of your level. It should not cause you a sleepless night. The governor will handle it in the best way possible. Which is the interest of the party and a win-win for everyone,” he said.
