Drama as two Migori MCAs suspended for 60 days

Migori County Assembly Speaker Christopher Rusana during a press briefing at the county assembly premises. [Anne Atieno, Standard]

A plenary sitting at Migori County Assembly took a dramatic twist when two MCAs were suspended for 60 days.

North Kadem MCA Olima Bonyo and Central Kanyamkago MCA Eunice Odii were suspended for 30 days and 60 days, respectively, after they were accused of gross misconduct.

The MCAs are alleged to have threatened assembly officers, including the speaker, and published false information about the assembly.

Bonyo and Odii, who have since vowed to move to court to challenge their suspension, termed it as impunity, abuse of office and power.

“We are not letting this matter go,” Bonyo remarked.

The MCA accused Speaker Christopher Rusana of abuse of office, saying he was shocked by his directive.

The duo said they were not given a fair hearing before being suspended.

“Why can't they give us an opportunity to say why we feel they are stealing from the public,” Bonyo stated.

‎Odii, who claimed to have questioned the leadership of the assembly concerning members’ welfare and how public funds were being used, said some of their colleagues were suffering in silence and didn’t want to talk about those issues.

“I was suspended for 60 days when I told the speaker to give me a duration that he felt he was comfortable with and reminded him that he will not stay in that seat forever. That only warranted him to suspend me for another 30 days,” Ms. Odii stated.

Odii questioned what she did to warrant a suspension of 60 days.

“I will not bend to victimization, intimidation and profiling. There is a procedure on how I was to be suspended. I was not given fair hearing,” Odii said.

Rusana, in his response, said an MCA’s suspension period was determined by the speaker.

“It came to the attention of the assembly that Olima and Odii conducted themselves in a grossly disorderly manner. I gave them suspension according to what the standing orders stipulate. It is not at the whim of the accused. The assembly has a proper structure,” Mr. Rusana said.

He said that the duo had threatened officers of the assembly, including himself, and published false information regarding the assembly, which he brought to their knowledge when he was suspending them.

The speaker said that the duo still has a chance of presenting themselves to the powers and privileges committee and exonerate themselves and come back earlier than the suspension period given if they felt the sentence was too harsh.