MCAs claim for double pay sparked gun fight in House

Police officers fight to restore order at the Kisumu County assembly after chaos broke out on Tuesday. MCAs were protesting against decision to adjourn sittings. [Denish Ochieng', Standard]

Allowances and supremacy battles are to blame for the chaos that have rocked the Kisumu County assembly since it was inaugurated, sources have said.

It appears MCAs can do anything, including jeopardising service delivery and embarrassing themselves by fighting in public, just to pocket allowances, at times illegally. 

The Standard has learnt that factional wars pitting a group that supports the executive against another one allied to the speaker, Onyango Oloo, have compounded the situation in the assembly, where members have spent a lot of time fighting.

On Tuesday, Sergeant-at-Arms George Amayo shot in the air to disperse members.  Apparently the MCAs were protesting against the adjournment of house business because they were pushing to earn double allowances.

Mr Oloo said the MCAs who fought Mr Amayo were not supposed to be in the chambers.

“They were supposed to be in Bomet County for the Lake Region Economic Bloc investment conference and their allowances for that trip had already been paid. I don’t know why they were in the house on Tuesday,” said Oloo.

Non-existent business

The MCAs were said to have sneaked back to transact non-existent business so that they could earn county assembly allowances in addition to what they had been paid to attend the conference.

Yesterday, more MCAs were expected to record statements with the police over Tuesday’s chaos that left the assembly more divided.

The MCAs insisted that sittings should never been adjourned because they had business to transact.

However, Oloo and other senior officials said there was no business to be transacted on the day of the chaos and accused the MCAs of only being keen to collect allowances. 

“The county assembly is witnessing chaos because of greed. I am ready to lose my position if saying the truth will result to that,” said Oloo.

He added: “The fight was unnecessary and surprising since the MCAs were expected to be in Bomet, not in the county assembly.

“I am a member of the House Business Committee. We met last week during which no businesses was approved for debate on Tuesday and Wednesday,” said Oloo.

He said the committee had planned to adjourn the assembly on Thursday last week but the MCAs insisted they wanted to continue with sittings.

“They wanted to earn double allowances and as the speaker, I cannot allow that. I will not be a party to corruption,” said Oloo.

“Some of the MCAs are only at the assembly for their stomachs. Some are trying to get money from the assembly through fraudulent means. However, I will ensure this will not happen on my watch.”

Amayo had to fire in the air to scare away MCAs who attacked him.

The ward reps fought in the chambers and the battle spilled to a nearby police station. Five ward reps recorded statements with police.

Trouble started after the temporary speaker, Eric Ogola, adjourned the house. The MCAs claimed Mr Ogola made the decision without consulting them. They said the adjournment was illegal and demanded that Mr Ogola reconvene the house.

Matters got out of hand when the sergeant-at-arms sought help from the police to restore calm.

The arrival of police officers further incensed the ward reps, who ordered them out of the chambers.

The county assembly has known no peace in recent months as MCAs fight for allowances and positions.

About two weeks ago, chaos erupted at the assembly after MCAs attempted to kick out the liasion committee chairman, Roy Samo.

Some sessions

Mr Samo, as the temporary speaker, had been chairing some sessions amid protests from MCAs who claimed he had illegally been included in the speaker’s panel by Oloo.

Other MCAs turned their heat on minority leader Philemon Ojuok, claiming he did not deserve the position.

Some MCAs also have been pushing to have two of their members included in the county assembly service board.

Yesterday, Oloo accused some MCAs of being out to plunder public resources.

“It is unfortunate that some of the MCAs are incompetent and are also being driven by their stomachs. There was no business approved, yet the MCAs wanted to have a sitting just to draw allowances,” said Oloo.

The MCAs accused Oloo of mismanaging the assembly and threatened to impeach him.

Big problem

Kondele representative Joachim Oketch insisted that the MCAs’ actions were not based on financial gain. He blamed the chaos on Oloo, whom he accused of mismanaging the assembly.

“It is wrong to bring in the issue of money in this matter. The truth is there is a big problem at the assembly that needs to be addressed and it has to do with mismanagement of the house,” said Mr Oketch.

Majority leader Kenneth Onyango appealed to ODM to intervene. “It is unfortunate MCAs are being blamed. We must know leadership cannot be exercised through propaganda, innuendo and lies,” said Mr Onyango.

Awasi-Onjiko MCA Maurice Ngeta condemned his colleagues who caused the chaos on Tuesday and demanded that disciplinary action be taken against them.

“What those MCAs did was shameful. What were they doing at the chambers when they were supposed to be in Bomet?” he asked.

Last week, ODM leader Raila Odinga criticised MCAs for engaging in wrangles instead of working for the electorate.

He accused some MCAS of turning their assemblies into battlegrounds since they were elected, defeating the purpose for picking them.