Chaos erupted at the Taita Taveta county assembly chambers yesterday as members made changes in house leadership with the majority leader Antony Warige and minority leader Genard Mwandau becoming the latest casualties.
Trouble started when the county assembly Speaker Wisdom Mwamburi issued a communication to the house on the new changes in house leadership which did not augur well with the opposing side.
The speakers’ communication caused numerous points of order and chaos among legislators.
There was a physical fight between Warige and MCAs Chrispus Tondoo and Joseph Mabishi forcing the speaker to suspend the sitting for 30 minutes to restore calm.
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“The house members became rowdy and Mr Mabishi punched Warige forcing the speaker to suspend the house sitting as Sergeant at arms and security details intervened to calm down the situation,” said a police officer attached to the assembly.
Those removed from leadership positions in the dramatic changes that caught majority of the legislators unawares were those allied to the deputy speaker Anselim Mwadime. Mwadime however retained his seat.
The changes came barely a month after the reinstatement of the speaker by the High Court in Mombasa following his impeachment two years ago.
Mr Mwadime, the Mgange-Mwanda MCA, had been the acting county assembly speaker.
In the new changes effected yesterday, Mr Warige, the Bura MCA and Wiper Party legislator was, replaced by the Mboghonyi Ward legislator Halifa Taraya of ODM, while Pamoja AfriMwadau, the PAA’s Werugha Ward legislator, was replaced by Mwatate Ward legislator Joseph Mwalenga of Wiper party.
The position of the deputy majority leader went to the Rong’e Ward legislator Ms Dorcus Mlughu of UDA replacing Lawrence Mzugha of ODM.
Peter Shambi, Wiper nominated legislator is the new minority leader replacing Kasigau Ward legislator Amos Makalo of PAA.
The position of the House Chief Whip went to Jubilee’s Joseph Mabishi who replaced Ngolia Ward legislator Jones Mganga.
The position of deputy majority whip went to former deputy speaker Chrispus Tondo while the positions of Minority Whip and deputy minority whip were taken by Bryson Mwambi and Antony Matolo respectively.
The legislators in support of the new leadership managed to collect 13 signatures from the MCAs to support their course.
According to the new leadership, more changes are expected to take place next week. “We are now targeting the Deputy Speaker’s position and those holding powerful house positions.
We are doing the changes in the spirit of the broad-based government and we will soon crack the whip,” warned one of the MCA who is supporting the new leadership told The Standard yesterday.
Mr Tondoo confirmed the new leadership has already been sworn-in by the Assembly Clerk Gadiel Maganga yesterday morning.
Interestingly, perceived rebel legislators who were last year suspended by the former assembly leadership for allegedly breaching their house privileges and immunities were among those who took plum positions in the new house leadership structure.
The four among them former Deputy Speaker Chrispus Tondoo, Dorcas Mlughu (Rong’e Ward), Halifa Taraya (Mboghoni Ward) and Azhar Din (Kaloleni ward) were suspended from several house sessions, fined and ordered to apologize to the house.
Mr Tondoo, the Bomeni Ward Representative and Ms Mlughu, the only UDA elected legislator in the region were suspended for 28 house sittings and each fined Sh100,000 for alleged misconduct.
Taraya, the new Majority Leader and Azhar were suspended for eight sittings. The suspended legislators were also ordered to apologize for allegedly breaching the house rules. While on suspension, the legislators did not enjoy the house privileges like committee sitting allowances, local and foreign trips.
“This is an ugly scenario and the four “cousins” cannot worship the self-proclaimed acting Speaker who is taking the house as his own toilet and market. The speaker is holding the office illegally,” an agitated Mlughu complained in an earlier interview,
“We have been suspended for questioning how Sh 6 million was used for a Zanzibar trip last year which are yet to be accounted for to date. We cannot sit and watch while the county is being run down by few individuals wielding so much power that they have gone rogue, operating and issuing threats to those who questioned them,” alleged the legislator.
“When we question why the executive has not remitted millions of shilling 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 staff and the local residents until we correct the mess being perpetrated by a few individuals.
2027 will be slippery to some of them,” she declared.
“We cannot sit down and clap for evil. The four “cousins” will also not bow and worship the house leadership,” Mlughu stated.