Members claim mace hidden at police station

Business has been paralysed at the county assembly following the disappearance of the mace.

Ward reps were yesterday locked in a crisis meeting chaired by the Leader of Majority Samuel Ong’ow to explore ways of conducting business in the House.

Ordinarily, the assembly cannot be in session without the mace, a symbol of authority.

Members accused the Speaker, Ms Ann Adul, of keeping the mace in a police station. However, the police denied its in their custody or where it is.

The saga of the missing mace started on Tuesday when Manyatta B Ward Representative Nereah Okombo presented a notice of motion seeking to dissolve the service board chaired by the Speaker.

She said the team had flouted the County Government Act by misappropriating funds as well as failing to provide annual reports on the use of money.

“The board has abused its mandate, making it difficult for the assembly to progress as required,” Ms Okombo said.

The Speaker, however, rejected the move saying Ms Okombo had flouted House Standing Orders that require all motions to pass through the Clerk.

This triggered an exchange between those who supported Ms Okombo and those against. The Speaker adjourned the House indefinitely.

“It is against the procedures of this House to present or debate a motion that has not been seen by the Clerk who prepares the order paper,” Ms Adul said. “The House is adjourned until further notice,” the Speaker said.

SABOTAGE

It is at this point that MCAs claimed that she ordered the Sergeants-at-Arms to carry the mace away and she allegedly took it to the police station.

Ward reps wrote to the county secretary to assign them a new Clerk claiming that the current one was working in cohorts with the Speaker to sabotage their oversight role.

“We have already obtained an abstract from the police over the missing mace. If at all the police have it, then they are in possession of stolen property,” House Majority Whip Isaiah Onyango said.

Kisumu Regional Police Commander Charles Narangwi said he has not received information about the mace being at the station.

“As far as I am concerned, we have not received the mace from the assembly. Any information pointing to us having it is untrue,” he said.
Acting clerk Ojwang’ Owek said they were mulling over the option of seeking a court order to compel the police to release it.

“If all fails, then we will ask with the Transition Authority to have a new mace made for the assembly since business must go on with or without the Speaker,” Mr Owek said.

MCAs had expected to debate the County Finance Bill which was to be tabled on Tuesday. They were to debate the nature of businesses to be taxed as well as rates to be applied.