County reps stage quiet coup against assembly leaders

By FRANCIS ONTOMWA

KAKAMEGA COUNTY: Kakamega County Assembly has kicked out both the majority and minority leaders in the house over alleged incompetence and law-making profligacies.

In a dramatic fashion, the two sides held a Kamukunji meeting on Wednesday and agreed to separately hold sessions that deliberated over the matter.

Majority Leader Reuben Nyangweso, also the Bukura ward representative, and Minority Leader Stephen Ambulwa were ousted on alleged gross misconduct and Dennis Wekesa and Titus Kwoma Marachi replaced them.

The move may open a can of worms between the assembly and courts as questions linger on whether the standing orders were followed in ousting the two.

“We feel that there ought to be a real clean-up in the county assembly and that is why we inflicted the much needed change. We cannot compromise work delivery and integrity for anything,” noted Mulanda Songa, a county representative who presided over the majority decision.

They accused the two leaders of conspiring with the office of the governor to frustrate the law making procedures, citing pitfalls in the pending Finance Bill before the floor of the house as one that had been doctored.

In reaction however, Mr Nyangweso accused the MCAs of harbouring sinister motives against him, arguing that they had an axe to grind over a failed push to grant them a retreat to discuss the Finance Bill.

“I know exactly where the heat is emanating from. The MCAs from the two sides of the political divide were petitioning to be granted a five-day retreat before discussing the Finance Bill, and they felt we were not pushing this agenda,” explained Nyangweso.

“It is irrational to take over 80 MCAs for a retreat just to discuss a Bill. Is this how we shall be operating every other time a Bill needs to be discussed? This is a wrong scheme to misuse taxpayers money and we stood our ground on this,” added Nyangweso, who insisted that he was still duly in office.

The CORD coalition forms the majority in the house while Amani coalition is the minority in the house.

Also facing possible axe is the Deputy Speaker Cleophas Malala whose fate lies in next month’s court determination on whether an impeachment motion against him was crafted within law or not.

The MCAs also accused Governor Wycliffe Oparanya of illegally occupying the county government offices, which they said is gazetted to house the county assembly.