Murang'a MCAs in fist fight over bribery allegations

Members of Muranga County Assembly on Monday traded blows and exchanged harsh words over the tabling of a report on the county’s development plan.

Trouble started when the county’s Finance Committee chairperson, Mr Kiiru Mbembe took the floor to reject tabling of the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) report, saying the Finance minister had not given his input on the paper.

But his fellow committee members accused him of plotting to sabotage tabling of the report for personal interests. The committee members said they had received the report, deliberated it and were ready to table it.

Tempers flared after Makuyu MCA Stanley Mwangi accused some of his colleagues of receiving bribes to pass the report.

"We know that some of you have been taken to Mombasa where you were given Sh42,000 to pass the report which has not passed all the legal requirements, " Mr Mwangi claimed.

Immediately, ward representatives demanded an apology forcing Mr Mwangi to withdraw his statement on orders from the speaker.

After harsh exchange of words, the speaker announced he had received the CIDP report from the Finance Committee members who had proposed Kamacharia MCA Gerald Wambugu to table it on behalf of their chairperson.

However, when Mr Wambugu took the floor to table the report a faction supporting Mr Mbembe heckled him.

The two factions then stormed the floor causing commotion.

"We will not allow this to happen. If we have to fight to prevent this, we shall do so," said Gitugi MCA Mwangi Kihurunjo.

The quarrel descended into blows and kicks amid bribery accusations forcing the speaker to postpone tabling of the report until in the afternoon.

"The allegations from the Finance chair in the floor of the assembly is forged are very serious, and I will take my time and investigate the matter. I hereby instruct members of the committee to sit down and deliberate the report and table it in the afternoon," Mr Kairuki Nduati ruled.