Garissa Turmoil: MCAs Clash Over House Leadership
Members of the Garissa County Assembly engaged in a physical altercation in the chambers on Tuesday as a result of a disagreement regarding house leadership positions.
The chaos broke out after House Speaker Abdi Idle Gure rose to announce changes proposed by the majority side regarding the House leadership.
Speaker Gure announced during his address to the House that Mohammed Abdi would succeed Abubakar Khalif of the Orange Democratic Movement Party (ODM) as Majority Leader.
A group of MCAs affiliated with Azimio, however, objected and demanded that the speaker adhere to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal (PPDT), which had provisionally suspended these changes.
Amid the chaos, members of opposing factions resorted to physical altercations and exchanged vehement verbal insults, all of which occurred before the speaker making additional announcements or communicating the changes.
Due to the escalating disorder and the fact that no adjustments had yet been made, the Speaker was whisked out of the chambers.
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The Azimio faction leading the changes sought to replace both the Majority Leader and the Majority Whip, but the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) momentarily halted the changes.
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Two MCAs from the Assembly, Abubakar Khalif of the ODM and Abdi Ibrahim of the Jubilee Party had petitioned the Tribunal to prevent leadership changes pending the outcome of their respective cases.
“That pending the hearing and determination of the application, an interim order is hereby issued staying the implementation of the decision and the declaration of the Speaker of the County Assembly of Garissa under 2 letters, all dated September 3, on the replacement of the 1st and 2nd complainants as the Majority Party Leader and Majority Whip in the County Assembly of Garissa,” the PPDT said in its ruling.
Mohammed Abdi, who was slated to succeed Abubakar Khalif as Majority Leader, applauded the adjustments made by the speaker, stating that they would significantly improve service delivery.
”It has gone well because that is what we expected. Azimio La Umoja chose me as the majority leader,” said Mohammed Abdi.
Abubakar Khalif said he would file a petition against the speaker for disobeying the order from the political parties tribunal.
GARISSA COUNTY ASSEMBLY
Garissa Turmoil: MCAs Clash Over House Leadership