Bid to send East Africa Legislative Assembly Speaker Margret Zziwa packing threatens to paralyse operations

The East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) is heading for a split as two factions differed over a censure motion against Speaker Margret Zziwa.

The differences played out at Parliament Buildings yesterday, when the two factions confronted each other regarding Ms Zziwa’s proposed sacking.

The two groups hosted separate meetings, with Zziwa leading the first delegation in addressing the media on the inauguration of the third session of EALA, which begins sitting in Nairobi today.

Immediately she concluded her briefing, 32 other members addressed the media, accusing the Speaker of interfering with the operations of the assembly and called for her removal.

Zziwa has been fighting to stay put despite a motion filed in the assembly in April to send her packing.

“Some members have expressed their disgruntlement. We have mechanisms within our rules of procedure in the treaty on how these differences are addressed,” said Zziwa.

The EALA rules of procedure state that the House may pass a resolution to remove the Speaker from office by not less than a two-thirds majority of elected members of the assembly.

The section of the assembly that sponsored the motion consists of 32 out of 44 members, which is more that the required two-thirds. The hardline position by the members now threatens to disrupt the third EALA session to be officially inaugurated by President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is the chair of the East Africa Commission (EAC) Heads of States Summit.

 SPECIAL SESSION

During the Press briefing, members who want Zziwa out declared they would attend only today’s inauguration by the President because “it is part of the assembly’s programme”.

“We shall attend the session because it is a special one, but then we shall have to get back the motion for a vote of no confidence once the President’s speech is delivered,” said EALA member Joseph Kiangoi.

Speaking on behalf of her colleagues, Nderekindo Kessy of Tanzania warned that if the impasse persisted, it would totally cripple the operations of the assembly.

The members instead vowed to force the Speaker to reschedule the censure motion for debate tomorrow.

“A majority of members being in excess of two-thirds have lost confidence in Zziwa and will press on with a motion for her removal. The speaker of EALA is the root cause of the current paralysis in the activities of the assembly,” she said.

The members accused Zziwa of poor governance and leadership skills, abuse of office, disrespect and intimidation.

“The Speaker has deeply involved her family in assembly affairs, especially her husband whose interventions members say have been disruptive, disrespectful and threatening to members,” said Ms Nderekindo.

They also censured Zziwa’s misallocation of resources earmarked for the assembly. They further accused her of practising nepotism, saying she had consistently favoured some members in allocation of foreign trips, and using the media to slander and character assassinate members.

The third assembly returns to Nairobi for the second time and will start sitting today until December 5. Apart from the President’s official address, the assembly will debate the EAC Co-operatives Bill 2014, EAC Integration Education Bill 2014 and the EAC Cross-Border Legal Practice Bill 2014.