The Kitui County Assembly on Tuesday unanimously voted to remove Chuluni MCA Mathew Ngovi Vuthi and Ikutha MCA Hussein Mwandia from the County Assembly Service Board, in a move that has laid bare deep political divisions within the House.
Photo | CA–Kitui Facebook
The two MCAs have been among the most vocal critics of the Speaker’s leadership and were part of a faction often described as the Speaker’s House opposition.
Mr Vuthi, a Wiper Party nominee, and Mr Mwandia, nominated by Narc, had been appointed to the powerful board based on their parties’ numerical strength in the Assembly.
According to motions adopted during the morning plenary sitting, the House acted under Standing Order 62D of the Kitui County Assembly Standing Orders after finding that the two had breached the oath of office prescribed under Section 38.
MCAs were told that the duo divulged confidential deliberations of the Assembly Service Board to the media and the public, and further used vulgar, abusive and unbecoming language directed at the Speaker, who chairs the board.
The Assembly said the conduct demeaned the dignity, honour and authority of the Service Board, warranting their removal.
Notably, the motions were moved and seconded by MCAs widely viewed as close allies of the Speaker, a detail that added to perceptions of an intensifying power struggle within the Assembly.
The motion to remove Mr Vuthi was moved by Bonface Mukwate and seconded by Harrison Maluki (Migwani), while that seeking the ouster of Mr Mwandia was moved by Jeremiah Mutua and seconded by Gabriel Munyao (Kauwi).
Their removal now clears the way for Wiper and Narc parties to nominate new representatives to the influential board, a development expected to reshape internal power dynamics within the Kitui County Assembly.
