Committee suspends 12 MCAs over assembly fist fight

Twelve MCAs in Kericho have been reprimanded by the assembly's Powers and Privileges committee for participating in a brawl.

They had fought on the floor of the house on January 15 following a disagreement over the allocation of Sh100 million to upgrade Kerenga airstrip.

Yesterday, the MCAs adopted the report by the powerful house committee chaired by Speaker Dominic Rono that recommended that Albert Kipkoech (Soliat) and Erick Bii (nominated) be suspended from 16 committee sittings for allegedly grabbing the assembly’s mace and throwing it out of the widow during the scuffle.

Seven other MCAs led by Paul Chirchir (Kapsoit), who opposed the ambitious civil aviation project, were suspended from 14 committee sittings.

Governor Paul Chepkwony’s allies Collins Biegon (Kapkugerwet), Aron Rotich (Cheptororiet/Seretut) and Anne Tanui (nominated) were ordered to write formal apology letters to the assembly within three days.

Three weeks ago, clerk Martin Epus and the assembly's Sergent-at-arms recorded statements with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in Nakuru.

The report was adopted as Chepkwony commissioned the project. County Roads Executive Charles Birech will chair the committee that will oversee it.

“Land will be acquired on both sides of the existing runway, which will be upgraded to bitumen,” he said.

The governor also said there will be controlled development within a radius of 1.6 kilometres from the airstrip.

 “The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and Kenya Airports Authority encourage further acquisition of land for construction of a 3.7 kilometre runway parallel to the existing one for bigger planes,” said Chepkwony.