The High Court in Machakos has temporarily overturned a decision by embattled Machakos County Assembly Speaker Ann Kiusya to suspend nine Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) over claims of unruly conduct during recent House proceedings.
Lady Justice Noel Adagi, sitting in Machakos on Thursday, granted a conservatory order in favour of the MCAs, including Leader of Majority Nicholas Nzioka and Deputy Speaker Stephen Mwanthi, who were among those suspended following chaotic scenes that disrupted a plenary sitting on Tuesday last week.
Speaker Kiusya had barred the MCAs from attending the next eight sittings citing misconduct and abuse of House privileges. Following a second day of disruption on Wednesday, she escalated the punishment with an additional 28-sitting suspension, effectively locking the lawmakers out of the Assembly for the remainder of the year.
However, through their lawyer Jackson Kala, the suspended MCAs challenged the Speaker’s orders in court, arguing that the suspensions infringed on their constitutional duties of representation, oversight, and legislation.
Justice Adagi agreed with the petitioners but attached a stern warning to her ruling.
“A conservatory order is hereby granted temporarily pending inter-partes application, with a stern condition that the applicants will maintain law and order once the order is complied with—failure to which the court will discharge this order or issue further appropriate directions,” she said in a ruling seen by The Standard.
The matter will be heard inter-partes on July 8, 2025.
In a separate political development, the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT) has temporarily reinstated Matuu Ward MCA Judas Mbili Ndawa as the Minority Leader in the County Assembly. Ndawa was recently removed from the position by the Maendeleo Chap Chap party, which replaced him with Kinanie Ward MCA Francis Kavyu through communication from the Speaker.
The tribunal’s intervention comes ahead of a scheduled mention of the matter on June 20, 2025.
