MCAs clash as plagiarism claim mar second reading of Bill
What you need to know:
- Trouble started when the Nairobi City County Plastic Control Bill, 2016 sponsored by Umoja MCA Njoroge Maina was presented for the second reading when Kayole South MCA Elizabeth Imanyala demanded to be recognized as the author of the Bill.
- However Mr Maina told journalist that the bill was not Ms Imanyala as it had been brought by the Leader minority at the Nairobi county assembly Abdi Guyo in November 2014 and was withdrawn to pave the way for more consultations.
There was drama at the Nairobi County Assembly on Wednesday when a Bill on plastic bags was said to have been plagiarised.
Trouble started when the Nairobi City County Plastic Control Bill, 2016 sponsored by Umoja MCA Njoroge Maina was presented for the second reading when Kayole South MCA Elizabeth Imanyala demanded to be recognized as the author of the Bill.
Ms Imanyala told the House that she had drafted the Bill originally and that Mr Maina had copied and re-presented it while she was away.
“Plagiarism is a criminal act. I will go to court if that is what is needed for the Bill to be withdrawn. I sweated and burnt the midnight oil to come up with the Bill but Mr Maina is claiming authorship,” lamented Ms Imanyala.
Ms Imanyala alleged that she had raised the matter with the assembly administration and wanted the Bill suspended until the issue was settled.
However Mr Maina told journalist that the bill was not Ms Imanyala as it had been brought by the Leader minority at the Nairobi county assembly Abdi Guyo in November 2014 and was withdrawn to pave the way for more consultations.
Mr Maina alleged that the plagiarism claims was a move by the representative to derail the passing of the important law in what he termed as a mischief.
“I don’t want to say that the MCA is paid to delay the passing of the Bill but I have a feeling that there is an outside force that is either the executive or the manufacturers to withdraw the bill,” said Mr Maina.
He added that Ms Imanyala should be pushing to have her amendment included instead of claiming the full recognition for the Bill.
The debate however took a political twist after Jubilee MCAs supported Mr Maina while those allied to the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) supported Ms Imanyala.
Deputy speaker Ken Ngondi, howevr, overruled that the Bill be read for the second time.
Jubilee nominated MCA Karen Wanjiku termed the plagiarism accusation as mere allegation by Ms Imanyala stating that he should produce evident.
Ms Wanjiku said that the Bill has been on the website for a longtime and had gone through first reading already hence it was irreversible.
Kilimani MCA Moses Ogeto told the Assembly that they will not allow plagiarism as it will set a bad precedent.
The deputy speaker in his ruling said that the Bill was already a property of the House hence MCA should petition the Assembly over the allegations.
On Tuesday the assembly had resumed from a short recess where they were expected to enter the new chambers however it was postponed since President Uhuru Kenyatta had not responded to the gracing of the occasion.
