Press, public barred as assembly oust leader

The Nyeri County Assembly officials yesterday barred Members of the press from covering the assembly proceedings during the morning session.

Guards at the assembly's premises said they had been instructed by the Sergeant-at-Arms not to let the press and public in.

"We cannot let anyone in until we are given further instructions by the office of the Sergeant at Arms," said one the security guards.

Anti-riot police were also stationed at the entrance to the county assembly grounds.

However, after two hours of waiting at the gate, members of the assembly intervened and insisted that journalists be allowed to access the assembly's press gallery.

New Majority leader

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Nyeri Speaker David Mugo was not in the House and Deputy Speaker Joel Gichuru presided over the session.

One of Sergeant-at-arms Officer, who declined to be named, said the deputy speaker had issued strict instructions not to allow the press or public into the assembly grounds.

It emerged that during the proceedings, Wamagana Ward Representative Jesse Kamuri was proposed as the Majority Leader to replace his Muruguru Ward counterpart Anthony Kibuu.

The National Alliance members appeared to be split over the change of guard, with the Kamuri-led group claiming they had held party elections where 19 out of the 36 members supported his bid for Majority Leader.

A crowd of Kamuri's supporters thronged the assembly grounds and Kamuri addressed them and informed them that he was now the Majority Leader in the assembly.

A rival faction led by Kibuu, however, insisted that would not recognise the announcement by Kamuri because it was illegal and they had been duped.

Party election

Nominated MCA Regina Macharia said that TNA members had received a message to attend a party election meeting in the lobby room to elect the Chief Whip and Majority Leader.

She claimed that some members later sneaked out of the lobby room Kamuri and announced that the party had elected Kamuri as the Majority Leader on the floor of the House.

"This is a coup and it was unacceptable for the members to make such announcements. We held elections and Mr Kibuu won with 21 votes," Ms Macharia said.

She said they would seek direction on the way forward from the party headquarters.

Last month, a TNA MP and the party's MCAs also differed on nominations for Nyeri members of county assembly

This is after the Chief Magistrate Court in Nyeri sent home 13 nominated MCAs, citing a violation of the directives of a Nairobi court annulled the original list of Nyeri's nominated MCAs.

The first list was  annulled last year over regional imbalance.