The County Assemblies Forum (CAF) meeting at KICC descended into chaos on Wednesday, February 19, after MCAs engaged in a physical altercation.
Despite the forum initially starting in an orderly manner, a heated disagreement over the management of the event arose among a section of the legislators.
Footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke shows several County Assembly Members in a physical altercation, with other officials forced to intervene to calm the situation.
Nairobi Majority leader Peter Imwatok was at the centre of the drama, with a section of MCAs accusing him of blocking them from airing their views.
Nairobi Majority leader Peter Imwatok.
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Nation
In the footage, irate MCAs had to be physically restrained from fighting as other members watched.
Imwatok has been at the centre of controversy in recent weeks, with a section of MCAs from Busia County accusing the Nairobi Majority Leader of engaging in divisive politics.
Led by Busia MCA Beatrice Akinyi and Burumba MCA Tony Onyango, the legislators accused Imwatok of attempting to split the Western Kenya bloc each time he visited their counties.
MCAs’ Threat
During the County Assemblies Forum, MCAs also renewed their feud with the Council of Governors (CoG), threatening to shut down house operations in all 47 counties on Monday, February 24, if their demands for better remuneration and county assembly autonomy are not addressed.
The dispute between governors and MCAs revolves around the Ward Development Fund (WDF), which the CoG argues undermines the separation of powers by granting MCAs executive functions.
MCAs, on the other hand, believe the WDF enables them to address grassroots development.
The legislators are pushing for financial autonomy for county assemblies, lamenting that they have become beggars since they rely on governors to allocate funds.
“From next Monday, we will have to paralyse all assemblies for our concerns to be addressed by the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), CoG, and Controller of Budget,” the MCAs stated, accusing the Council of Governors of delaying their requisition for up to a month.
Council of Governors appearing before the National Assembly on Thursday, January 23 2025.
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Council of Governors.