The Nairobi County Assembly’s preliminary session was brought to a standstill on Tuesday afternoon, April 23, when Majority Leader Peter Imwatok’s attempt to announce the formation of a water committee was disrupted.
Ngei Ward MCA Redson Onyango Otieno, who was appointed on the ODM ticket in the last election, vowed to stop the changes the house was to make until he was heard.
Mr Otieno was the chairperson of the water committee that was recently disbanded in what the House said was a move to clear the air on allegations levelled against him by members.
However, according to the MCA, he was not given time to respond to the allegations against him and there was a plan to remove him for siding with the MCAs, who are perceived as rivals to the House leadership.
He stood his ground, went to the chamber and made sure that the Majority Leader did not read the amendments.
Not even the Serjeant-at-Arms’ attempt to throw him out of the House could stop him, as other MCAs rallied behind him, forcing Speaker Kennedy Ng’ondi to adjourn the sitting.
“Sitoki. If you want to kill me, kill me now. Why always me? What have I done to be removed Speaker, I want to be told the reasons and changes will only be communicated by the ODM party, not the Majority Leader,” Mr Otieno protested in the House.
‘I’m not leaving this place! Siwezi tulia…sitoki!’ – Ngei Ward MCA, Redson Onyango Otieno, causes drama at County Assembly pic.twitter.com/G7GeigCGU4
— Nairobi News (@Nairobi_News) April 24, 2024
After the House was adjourned until today, April 24 afternoon, Mr Otieno told the media that he had read malice from a section of the House leadership that wanted him removed from any committee over allegations that he pocketed millions of money from a county executive.
“I have written to the ODM party secretary general informing him that the water committee has been dissolved without valid reasons,” he said.
According to him, the allegations that he received Sh25 million from the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (Nairobi Water) for committee members were not true.
“I told them that the speaker has the power to summon the managing director of Nairobi Water to explain who used that money to travel…I said I will not bow down to one man, I know who is behind this…the majority whip told me that the reason I was removed from the water committee was because I was running around with the enemies.”
According to him, only the ODM party can communicate about such changes and that the House can only reconstitute committees after three years.
Adding his voice to the chaos in the House, Kileleshwa Ward MCA Mr Robert Alai accused the Speaker of trying to use illegal means to remove some members from committees.
“We didn’t come to this house on the invitation of the Speaker. We are members of this house through a very legal and thorough process under Article 177 of the Constitution,” Mr Alai said.
The vibrant MCA said the Standing Orders of the House dictate the process of removing a member.
