Nairobi Speaker Restores Benefits of Suspended Jubilee MCAs

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Benson Mutura
Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Benson Mutura
File

Nairobi County speaker Benson Mutura has restored in lumpsum, benefits and perks of three MCAs who had been suspended from Jubilee in November last year.

According to data from the Controller of Budget, the average monthly benefits for MCAs range from Ksh540,000 to Ksh609,000. This is inclusive of the salary, mileage allowance, airtime perks, per diems and all travel expenses.

Anne Thumbi, Sylvia Museiya and Millicent Jagero had been suspended by Jubilee's disciplinary committee for allegedly going against the party's positions on various issues. 

Nominated MCA Anne Thumbi.
Nominated MCA Anne Thumbi.
File

Mutura, however, restored all the benefits owed to them for the six months they had been suspended. The speaker added that the three would immediately resume service to the House and its committees.

"Having perused the appeals and sanctions and taking into context the time served in suspension, I am inclined to advise that the privileges attendant to the three are reinstated with immediate effect," he stated. 

The three had been accused by the party of going against the party's position on the Nairobi City County Appropriation Bill 2020. 

They were among the legislators who voted in favour of former Nairobi governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko's memorandum that had rejected the Ksh37.5 billion budget- which counteracted Jubilee's stance on the issue. 

This saw Jubilee's disciplinary committee take action against the three and suspending them in November 2020.

"The charged members are dewhipped in accordance with the Jubilee Party constitution and also from all the committees of the Nairobi City County Assembly in which they serve for a period of six months," the committee's chair Muchai Lumatete stated.

After an appeal by the three legislators at the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, the suspension was overturned in March 2021.

The Tribunal chair Desma Nungo ruled that the disciplinary proceedings did not follow the stipulated procedure outlined in the constitution.

 Jubilee party headquarters office in Pangani on Monday, September 11, 2019.
Jubilee party headquarters office in Pangani on Monday, September 11, 2019.
Simon Kiragu
Kenyans.co.ke