Mombasa House Majority leader dismisses bid to oust him

Wrangles at the Mombasa County Assembly escalated on Friday after a group of MCAs locked House Majority Leader Abdallah Kasagamba out of his office.

Led by ODM Mombasa branch chairman Mohamed Hatimy, they said they were determined to kick the Likoni MCA out because of his alleged inefficiency and failure to properly carry out his mandate.

“We want him removed because he has failed to do what he was elected to do in that office,” said Tononoka MCA Saad Faraj, who was accompanied by Mr Hatimy and Majengo MCA Abubakar Rashid. The three said they had presented a notification letter to County Speaker Thadius Rajwayi and Clerk Salim Juma for the removal of Mr Kasagamba. They want to replace him with Hamisi Mwidani, a former Mombasa Mayor and Mtongwe Ward representative.

However, Mr Kasagamba and MCAs Jabess Odour (Kongowea) and Riziki Fundi (Bamburi) blamed Governor Hassan Joho for the wrangles, claiming that he was out to control the all-ODM House.

“This is not an assembly to be led through remote control. We were elected to represent the people, and not one person.  We are tired,” said Mr Fundi, the Bamburi MCA.

CAUSING MAYHEM

Mr Oduor accused Mr Hatimy of causing mayhem in the assembly as he serves the interests “of another person.”

However, the governor’s office dismissed the claims as misplaced and asked the MCAs to sort out their internal wrangles without dragging in the county’s leadership.

“They should exercise their independence as provided for in the Constitution,” said county director of communication Richard Chacha. “Those are party issues and the governor is not an official of the local branch (ODM). They must keep him out of this.”

The locks to Mr Kasagamba’s office were changed late on Thursday by the group led by Mr Hatimy. But on Friday morning, Mr Kasagamba’s group broke an office window and gained entry into the office located at the County Assembly premises.

Speaking to journalists, Mr Kasagamba claimed he had been harassed and intimidated by goons and county inspectorate officers on Thursday evening as he left the office. He reported the matter to police, he said. On Friday morning, he was escorted to the County Assembly by police officers from Central Police Station.

The June 16 letter, signed by Chief Whip Ahmed Omar reads: “Attached, please, find minutes of ODM members of the County Assembly of Mombasa, replacing the Leader of Majority, Hon Aballah M. Kasagamba... and replacement to the position with new occupant Hon Hamisi Musa Mwidani Mtongwe Ward with immediate effect.”

Mr Hatimy said they had also collected 29 signatures from other ward representatives for the official removal of Mr Kasagamba.

But Mr Kasagamba said that there was no official communication of his removal from the party.