Nyandarua County Assembly grounds turned into a battlefield yesterday as police officers engaged MCAs and Assembly employees in running battles.

The police were trying to disrupt a sitting presided over by Speaker Ndegwa Wahome who a section of MCAs claim has been impeached.

Officers were late in acting as Wahome had just concluded the morning sitting of the House and adjourned the assembly to February 9.

They lobbed teargas canisters in the chamber and various offices of the assembly.

Confrontation ensued when furious MCAs allied to Wahome and employees ran out of rheir offices and started roughing them up.

Addressing the press later, Wahome termed the act by police as “comedy, hooliganism and domestic terrorism.”

Security apparatus

The Speaker also blamed the security apparatus led by the County Commissioner, Benson Leparmorijo of being used by Governor Francis Kimemia to cause chaos in the assembly.

“The persons who gave orders for the criminal act to be perpetrated were the County Commissioner Benson Lemparmorijo, Deputy County Commissioner Benson Oyagi, Deputy Officer Commanding Olkalou Police Division and Officer Commanding Olkalou Police Station,” he said.

“The governor shall not be allowed to interfere with operations of the County Assembly since I don’t serve under his pleasure anyway. If he wants me impeached, let him have 30 MCAs on his side,” Wahome added.

He accused the proponents of his impeachment motion of flouting court orders that had directed that the law providing the process of impeachment must be followed to the letter.

He accused MCAs seeking to remove him of making fake gazette notices. He said authenticity of the gazette notice could not be verified from the Government printer’s website.

“They have made nine such notices since December,” he said.

He appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and ensure that there is peace in Nyandarua County.

Twelve of 14 MCAs allied to the Speaker also held a press conference and condemned the act.  

Wahome’s opponents who are led by the House leader of Majority Wambugu King’ori had vowed that the Speaker shall not be allowed to preside over any sitting in the House.

King’ori group’s attempt to hold a “special sitting” on Monday was thwarted by MCAs allied to the Speaker where the Deputy Speaker Zachary Njeru was roughed up.

The Deputy Speaker’s group held a press conference and claimed to have adjourned the house until February 26.

It was expected that King’ori’s group would attend and cause chaos yesterday but they never showed up. The House was resuming its sittings after December recess.