Dramatic scenes played out today at the Kirinyaga County Assembly chambers as Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) clashed over the planned removal of Majority Leader Daniel Muriithi Kibinga.
The situation degenerated and turned chaotic shortly after Deputy Speaker Jenaro Njamumo announced that Kibinga had been removed from his position.
Some MCAs demanded to see the signatures of those supporting the ouster, claiming they did not meet the required threshold.
Kibinga, Ngariama Ward MCA and a close ally of governor Anne Waiguru, is facing opposition from a section of MCAs who want to replace him with Kiine Ward MCA and current Budget Committee Chairperson Geoffrey Murimi.
MCAs supporting the ouster, led by Kerugoya Ward MCA Eric Muchina, accused Kibinga of failing to effectively manage assembly business, which they claim has hindered their development agenda.
Muchina also alleged that Kibinga has caused divisions within the assembly over the past two years. He urged Governor Waiguru not to interfere with or oppose the MCAs’ decision.
Geoffrey Murimi, the proposed replacement for Majority Leader, said his priority would be to ensure development for residents.
He emphasised that the role of Majority Leader is to serve as a crucial link between the assembly and the executive.
In response, Kibinga dismissed the claims against him and challenged his opponents to produce a valid list of signatures supporting his removal.
He maintained that he is still in office and accused external forces of funding certain MCAs to orchestrate his ouster.
He further alleged that some individuals are using blackmail to push for illegal budget allocations.
Nominated MCA Bosco Gichangi criticised the Deputy Speaker for taking it upon himself to make such a critical announcement while the Speaker was present in the chamber.
Gichangi revealed that although he initially supported the move to remove Kibinga, he had since withdrawn his signature, citing concerns that similar chaos in the previous assembly had derailed development efforts.
