Four MCAs fined Sh400,000 for breaching of powers and privileges in Taita Taveta

Taita Taveta county assembly leadership has cracked the whip on four perceived rebel MCAs who are accused of breaching their house privileges and immunity.

Former county assembly deputy speaker Chrispus Tondoo, Rong'e MCA Dorcas Mlughu, Halifa Taraya (Mboghoni Ward) and Azhar Din of Kaloleni Ward were suspended from several house sessions, fined a total of Sh400,000 and ordered to apologise to the house.

Mr Tondoo, the Bomeni Ward Representative, and Ms Mlughu, the only UDA elected MCA in the region, were suspended for 28 house sittings and each fined Sh 100,000 for alleged misconduct.

Taraya and Azhar were suspended for eight sittings. The suspended MCAs were also ordered to apologize for allegedly breaching the house rules.

While on suspension, the legislators will not enjoy the house privileges like committee sitting allowances, and local and foreign trips.

The suspension comes even after the four obtained a temporary court order from the Voi Law Courts issued on June 16, this year, barring the county assembly acting speaker Anselim Mwadime and the committee on powers and privilege from discussing their conduct.

The temporary stay of proceedings was issued by High Court Judge Lady Justice Asenath Ongeri.

“It is hereby ordered that the application dated June 16, 2025, is certified as urgent. That the same to be served upon the respondent for inter parties hearing on June 24..." said the court order in part.

The court ordered a temporary stay of any further proceedings granted pending an inter-party hearing of the application.

But MCA Joseph Mwalegha claimed the court order had not been received by the time the house proceedings were going on.

“I am from the assembly chambers now and there was no court order and if it was there it cannot stop us from discharging our mandate,” stated the Wiper party legislator.

On Wednesday, the four legislators were locked out of the assembly as it adopted the report of the powers and privileges committee chaired by the speaker.

The drama unfolded at the assembly when Mlughu, house leadership and sergeant-at-arms engaged in a heated altercation.

The UDA legislator accused the house leadership of ignoring the court order and called for the arrest and prosecution of the speaker whom she accused of being ignorant of the law and dictatorship.

“This is an ugly scenario and the four cousins cannot worship the self-proclaimed Speaker who is taking the house as his toilet and market. The speaker is holding the office illegally,” an agitated Mlugu complained,

“We have been suspended for questioning how Sh6 million was used for a Zanzibar trip last year which is yet to be accounted for to date. We cannot sit and watch while the county is being run down by a few individuals wielding so much power that they have gone rogue, operating and issuing threats to those who questioned them,” alleged the legislator.

Addressing the press in Mwatate town on Thursday, Mlughu claimed that the governor was under siege and held hostage. She noted the governor appeared to be helpless due to intimidation and threats of impeachment by the house leadership.

“When we question why the executive has not remitted millions of shillings for county staff statutory deductions, we are being punished. There are no drugs in public hospitals, roads are poor and the electorate is suffering. We will continue standing firm with the staff and residents until we correct the mess being perpetrated by a few individuals; 2027 will be slippery to some of them,” she protested.

On Monday, the four appeared before the powers and privileges committee to defend themselves over allegations of breaching their house privileges and immunity but the grilling ended in disarray after the four MCAs rejected the newly reconstituted powers.