ODM reinstates Homa bay county assembly majority leader, deputy

Homa Bay County MCAs addressing journalists on August 25, 2018. Fresh wrangles ensued after a group of MCAs ousted their majority leader and his deputy. [James Omoro/Standard]

The Orange Democratic Movement has reinstated Homa Bay Assembly Majority Leader Richard Ogindo and his deputy Ruth Ombura.

The party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna on Tuesday disowned the purported ouster of the two leaders, effectively returning them to office.

Ward representatives on Saturday convened a press conference where they declared that they had ejected the two senior assembly members.

The 31 members of the county assembly said they had voted to oust Ogindo and Ombura.

Led by Deputy Speaker Evance Marieba, the MCAs said the two would be replaced by Kanyadoto MCA Walter Muok (leader of majority) and Homabay Town Central MCA Julius Nyambok (deputy majority leader).

But Sifuna said the party will convene a stakeholder's meeting to iron out issues pitting the leaders against the MCAs.

"While my office attempts to ascertain the propriety or otherwise of the actions taken by the members, we urge that the status quo ante be reverted to immediately.

This will also avail opportunity to my office to convene a stakeholders meeting in the next two weeks to iron out the underlying issues," said Sifuna in a statement.

The MCAs had accused Ogindo of demonstrating poor leadership and disrespecting elected leaders in the county.

But Ogindo dismissed the ouster and insisted he and his deputy were still in office.

He further criticised the impeachment process as unprocedural and unacceptable.

"I am still the majority leader and I am not aware of any ouster. My colleagues followed an undue process," said Ogindo.?