Speaker endorses new leadership in Tharaka Nithi Assembly

Peterson Mwirigi has been endorsed as the new leader of the majority in the county assembly.

In a communication to the House, Speaker David Mbaya said Jubilee Party Executive Director James Waweru wrote to his office on February 27 endorsing Mr Mwirigi.

Jubilee is the party with the majority MCAs in the House.

Mbaya also detailed how wrangles between the two opposing factions - one led by Mwirigi and the other by his main challenger Godfrey Mutwiri -  had created confusion in the assembly.

According to Mbaya, the wrangles started when he received a letter from an MCA called Margaret Gitari, who is allied to the Mutwiri camp.

He revealed that the letter named Mutwiri as the leader of majority, to be deputised by Charles Nyaga. Ms Gitari, the letter said, was to be the majority whip.

“The letter went on to point out that Samuel Muthini would be removed as the deputy majority whip to be replaced by Dennis Mutwiri,” said the Speaker.

He also told the House that the letter had attached minutes signed by Gitari on behalf of her ally Mutwiri.

Mbaya went on to reveal that later, he received a second letter from the Mwirigi camp, deepening the confusion. 

“Similarly, I received a letter signed by MCA Peterson Mwirigi claiming that he was the legitimate majority leader in the House,” said Mbaya.

The Mwirigi camp claimed that the Jubilee Party held an election in the assembly and resolved to remove Gitari as Majority Whip  and replace her with Njeri Kigwari.

“The letter also said Jubilee chose Peterson Mwirigi ahead of Godfrey Mutwiri as the majority leader,” said Mbaya.

The speaker said the two letters had created great confusion on who the genuine Jubilee leaders in the assembly were.

That is when he went ahead to report that Mr Waweru had written to clear the air over the party leadership in the assembly by endorsing the Mwirigi faction.

The Mwirigi camp has been told to take up positions in the House Business Committee.