ODM to decide embattled Mombasa majority leader's fate

Mombasa County Assembly Majority Leader Abdalla Kasagamba’s stay in office hangs by a thread after the Speaker ruled out putting the matter to the vote and gave his party the mandate to decide his fate by Thursday.

On Monday, ODM Mombasa Branch chairman Mohamed Hatimy, who has been championing the removal of Mr Kasagamba from office, said the Assembly had given him the authority to decide the official’s fate.

Mr Hatimy said he will announce on Thursday the party’s decision on whether Mr Kasagamba will be replaced or not.

“In a stormy meeting chaired by Speaker Thadius Rajwayi in the Assembly boardroom, it was resolved that the ODM Mombasa branch address the row over the position of the Majority Leader,” Mr Hatimy told reporters in his office at the Assembly buildings.

Earlier, Mr Hatimy had alleged that Mr Kasagamba had failed in his duties, accusing him of causing disunity among ODM Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) that resulted in endless infighting.

OUTLIVED HIS USEFULNESS

“I fully support the group of MCAs who are plotting to oust the Majority Leader as he has outlived his usefulness,” said Mr Hatimy, who was recently removed from his post of Finance Committee chairman by a select committee chaired by Mr Kasagamba.

He said his faction wants Mtongwe MCA Hamisi Mwidani to replace Mr Kasagamba.

“We could have won easily as 19 of us were in support of Mr Kasagamba while 11 were from Mr Hatimy’s group,” said Kadzandani MCA Mohamed Ndanda.

On Monday afternoon, Mr Kasagamba suffered humiliation when his opponents yet again locked him out of his office.
A team of county askaris prevented him from entering until when the Speaker intervened.

Mr Kasagamba told journalists that, in the meeting chaired by the Speaker, it was agreed that he remains in office until Thursday when ODM will give its decision.