Nairobi News

A male MCA on Monday punched his female colleague as competition for committee slots turned into a fist fight in the Nyeri County Assembly.

During the scuffle in the chambers, Mweiga MCA Njuguna Kawanjiku punched Nominated MCA Beth Nyawira, angering other nominated MCAs.

Mr Kawanjiku threatened journalists against reporting the fight and fled from the assembly minutes later, leaving his colleagues trying to calm down Ms Nyawira and her female colleagues.

COVER UP

Male MCAs then quickly moved to try and cover up the scuffle, denying that female MCAs had been intimidated and kicked out of committee seats.

Trouble started when MCAs were called in for an informal meeting where Deputy Speaker Samuel Kariuki and Majority Leader James Kanyugo attempted to reconstitute committees.

The meeting took place shortly after Speaker John Kaguchia adjourned a special sitting that had been called to allow the tabling of the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP).

During the morning sitting, the speaker praised the ward reps for remaining peaceful at a time when their counterparts in other counties were fighting.

But this changed minutes later when women questioned the procedure of removing a committee chairperson, turning the meeting into a shouting match.

During such meetings the speaker, clerks, sergeant-at-arms and journalists are not present.

INTIMIDATING FEMALE MCAs

A nominated MCA who asked not to be named accused her male counterparts of intimidating female MCAs while attempting to trim their responsibilities.

“They do not want to see a woman in a leadership position. Instead of supporting us, they are fighting and trying to silence us,” said the MCA.

However, the male MCAs thereafter issued a press statement denying claims that they were ejecting female MCAs from committee positions, insisting that they were deliberating on the CIDP.

“There was no scuffle but members were engaging in how they would support Kawanjiku. Anybody saying there was a scuffle is misleading,” they said.

Mr Kanyugo claimed that the women were camera shy and did not want to be involved in the briefing.

TENSE DEBATE

However, a recording obtained by Nation revealed a tense debate between the top House leadership and the nominated MCAs, who have been accused of being disrespectful.

Nation also learnt that the female MCAs were warned against talking to the media.

Last year in November, four women holding chairperson positions in committees were ejected in a bid to “tame and discipline them”.

Out of the 15 women MCAs, only three were elected on August 8, with the other 12 being nominated.