Four Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) in Homa Bay have been removed from various Assembly committees under what they describe as unclear and unjustified circumstances.
The affected legislators say they were neither notified in advance nor given a clear explanation by the Assembly leadership on why they were discharged from the committees they have been serving in.
Three of the four MCAs who addressed the media linked their removal to their recent association with Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, whom they visited at his rural home for what they described as development consultations.
The legislators are West Kasipul Ward MCA Vickins Bondo, Arujo Ward MCA Tonny Otheo, Kabuoch North MCA Boaz Khiri and Nominated MCA Pauline Omogi.
Speaking during the press briefing, West Kasipul MCA Vickins Bondo said committees play a critical role in enabling MCAs to effectively represent the needs of their constituents.
“Committees give us a platform to articulate the concerns of the people who elected us. Removing us from these committees is a direct attack on the mandate of the people,” Bondo said.
Arujo Ward MCA Tonny Otheo termed the move unconstitutional and announced plans to seek legal redress.
“We are moving to court to seek interpretation from the High Court on whether the Parliamentary Party in the Homa Bay County Assembly has the authority to discharge independent members from committees they are duly serving in,” Otheo stated.
On his part, Kabuoch North MCA Boaz Khiri defended their visit to the Interior PS, saying it was purely aimed at sourcing additional resources for development projects.
“County resources alone are not sufficient. Our visit was meant to seek support for development and leaders should be respected across political and administrative boundaries,” Khiri said.
The MCAs are now demanding a formal explanation from the Assembly leadership and reinstatement to the committees, warning that the move could undermine effective representation and oversight within the Assembly.
The County Assembly Speaker, Polycarp Okombo, via a phone call interview said the removal was just as a result of normal changes in the assembly committees and has nothing to do with external politics.
