Nyeri MCAs suspend debate on bill to discuss allowances

NYERI COUNTY: Assembly members on Wednesday threatened to boycott House proceedings over unpaid allowances.

The MCAs, who are supposed to have started their recess on December 4, sought to know from the Chairman of the Whole House Committee Joseph Kingori why their allowances had not been paid.

The House had last week resolved to extend its sittings to December 16, to allow for the Second and Third reading of the Revenue Administration Bill

During Wednesday's session, the Finance Committee Chairman Paul Ngiria asked Mr Kingori to allow the members air their grievances.

"There is tension in this House and we would like our issues addressed because our allowances have not been paid. We have a problem with the Nyeri County government, which has become a one man show," Mr Ngiria said.

He said the MCAs were going to boycott the Revenue Bill until their allowance issue was addressed.

In response, Kingori said it was not possible to discuss the allowances because the House special sitting was to specifically discuss the Revenue Bill.

Infuriated by the response, Narumoru MCA John Marete asked Kingori to call the House Speaker to facilitate an informal sitting.

"We are not ready to proceed until our issues are discussed, so suspend the special sitting and ask the Speaker to come and allow us to discuss our allowances," Mr Marete said.

On his recall, Speaker David Mugo was informed of the MCAs decision not to discuss the bill until the allowance issue was solved.

Mr Mugo ordered an informal meeting and the media together with the hansard were requested to leave the assembly. He later adjourned the sitting to yesterday, where the MCAs continued with the debate of the bill.