Bid to impeach Speaker Elizabeth Ayoo leaves assembly divided
Homa Bay County Assembly members vote during a motion to impeach Speaker Elizabeth Ayoo who has been accused of incompetence. PHOTO | CORRESPONDENT | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Accusations levelled against the Speaker were barring journalists from reporting assembly proceedings and unilateral alteration of the assembly calendar.
- Majority Leader Richard Ogindo who addressed the media alongside other 20 MCAs dismissed the ouster as null and void.
Wrangles in the Homa Bay County Assembly persisted with two factions differing on a purported ouster of the Speaker Mrs Elizabeth Ayoo.
While one faction of the ward representatives carried out the said impeachment on allegations of incompetence and integrity issues on her part, another section maintained the move was illegal as the House lacked the required numbers.
The Nation has however established that "greed for money by some ward representatives", outcome of Governor Cyprian Awiti’s appeal at the Supreme Court and 2022 succession have everything to do with the current altercations.
Thursday’s sitting was chaired by Deputy Speaker Evance Marieba.
The move that culminated in the alleged impeachment motion followed several weeks of wrangling at the assembly that also led to the ‘theft’ of the Mace.
ASSEMBLY CALENDAR
Other accusations levelled against the Speaker were barring journalists from reporting assembly proceedings, unilateral alteration of the assembly calendar, ‘stage-managing’ disorder among others.
The mace disappeared from the assembly under unclear circumstances which led to the arrest of the Deputy Sargent at Arms Ms Idah Adhiambo.
The motion was tabled by Ruma Kaksingri MCA Mr Eliphalet Osuri who claimed Ms Ayoo’s conduct at the legislative house “diminishes the integrity of members and that of the electorate.”
“We have had constant fights at the assembly over issues ignited by the speaker. She has done little to solve the wrangles which she caused,” said Mr Osuri.
NULL AND VOID
But Majority Leader Richard Ogindo who addressed the media alongside other 20 MCAs dismissed the ouster as null and void saying the other faction fears the out-come of the Governor Awiti’s election appeal at the Supreme Court.
“Our counterparts fear that should Awiti and his Deputy Hamilton Orata lose the appeal, it is the Speaker who will act as governor until a new governor is elected through a by-election,” said Mr Ogindo.
Mr Oscar Ouma Abote MCA for South Kabuoch told the Nation that the war in the assembly was about money, saying the leaders were only fighting for ‘their stomachs’.
The faction are also said to be split with one supporting Suba North MP John Mbadi while another is pro-Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga, both said to be eyeing the county governor’s seat 2022.
