Nyandarua MCAs seeking to oust Speaker find assembly locked

Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia on Wednesday evening protested and condemned the closure of the county assembly premises, in what was seen as s bid to frustrate the submission of a notice to impeach Speaker Wahome Ndegwa.

In a statement, Governor Kimemia said he was concerned by the conduct of the clerk, who denied the MCAs access to their offices.

“I have today received notification from the Leader of Majority in the County Assembly, Ednald Kingóri Wambugu, that the Hon. MCAs have petitioned and filed a motion seeking to impeach the Speaker, James Ndegwa Wahome, for various reasons and accusations contained in the motion served to the office of the clerk and the Speaker of the county assembly following the law,” reads the statement.

Mr Kimemia said the majority leader had “bitterly” complained to him, asking for intervention over the closure of the assembly despite an earlier agreement between the clerk, Mr Kukiri Muchiri, and Mr King’ori over the notification of the motion.

“The clerk chose to not only absent himself but to also [to] shut down the county offices at the instruction of the Speaker. The county assembly offices should be opened to the public and members with immediate effect.

"Shutting down such an institution is tantamount to gross abuse of office and disciplinary action shall be taken, at an appropriate time, on those found culpable,” read the statement.

Right to impeach

Governor Kimemia insisted that MCAs have a right to exercise their authority to impeach or discipline the Speaker, “who in any case, is an ex-official employee of the MCAs and not their boss”.

He warned Mr Wahome that he was elected by MCAs to facilitate the professional management of the county assembly, including the welfare of members and staff of the assembly in line with the law and standing orders.

“The Speaker is also expected to facilitate, mobilise and promote good relations, cooperation, collaboration, and consultations with the executive within the confines of the doctrine of separation of powers, so that the people enjoy the highest level of socio-economic development, as implemented by the executive,” said the county boss.

He assured Nyandarua people that his transformation agenda is in full focus and will never be thwarted or subverted by anybody, including the assembly’s leadership and the ongoing impeachment initiative on the Speaker by the MCAs.

MCAs stranded

Following the closure of the Nyandarua assembly on Wednesday, MCAs plotting to impeach Mr Wahome were stranded outside with the compound being deserted. No staff were in sight apart from the security officers guarding the premises. The frustrated MCAs were forced to pin the notice at the entrance.

Wednesday’s incident was the culmination of a two-day failed attempt to serve the assembly clerk who vanished on Tuesday after realising the MCAs were on their way to serve the notice of the motion.

The clerk was later on Tuesday traced to a Naivasha hotel from where he also vanished before he could be served with the notice.

The notice of motion for the removal of the Speaker, who also chairs the County Assemblies Forum, signed by 26 out of the 39 ward representatives, accuses Mr Ndegwa of misconduct, managing the assembly as a one-man entity, nepotism and mismanagement of assembly funds.

Accusations

“We are shocked at what Mr Wahome has done. Today is a working day. This proves how arrogant and disrespectful to the law the Speaker is. The county assembly is a public office that should be open and operational to serve the public all working hours from Monday to Friday,” said the majority leader, who is moving the impeachment motion.

In the motion, Mr Ndegwa is accused of influencing the employment of three of his close nephews at the Nyandarua County Assembly, irregularly paying himself allowances amounting to more than Sh66,000, failure to fill the vacancy of clerk and chief executive officer of the assembly, and appointing himself a signatory of the assembly’s banks accounts.

He is also accused of using abusive language and using his office to harass and intimidate the executive and promoting inequality in the House

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