Nominated MCA Mary Arivitsa has reportedly been suspended twice in a year for allegedly demeaning the office of the speaker.
On September 25, 2018, when MCAs elected Chege Mwaura as the acting speaker following the ouster of former speaker Beatrice Elachi, Arivitsa disrupted the assembly's proceedings by shouting and rolling on the floor.
She was sent home for 21 days for unethical conduct. The MCA is reportedly pro-Speaker Beatrice Elachi.
The latest suspension, on June 13, followed a statement by Majority Leader Abdi Hassan Guyo on April 23 reporting an alleged misconduct by Arivitsa during the County Assemblies Forum held in Kisumu.
The assembly's Power and Privileges Committee, led by chairman Naftali Mathenge, found her guilty of the offense and suspended her for 30 plenary sittings.
"The committee found a strong inference can be made that the MCA acted in a manner to demean the office of the speaker," Mathenge stated on Thursday.
"The committee also finds that Arivitsa lied in her witness testimony that she did not attend the conference on that day contrary to irrefutable evidence on record that she did sign her attendance with sergeants-at-arms," he added.
The House holds plenary sittings three times a week, where each MCA in attendance earns Ksh 3,000 per seating.
Majority Leader Abdi Hassan Guyo stated that no MCA was above the rules of the House, adding that the suspension would send a message to other ward reps "who think that they can disrespect the House".
Guyo further termed Arivitsa's behaviour as displeasing and "cannot be tolerated further and if it was another member in her situation, the same would apply to them".
"The issue touches on integrity and not at any time should members be allowed to disrespect the rules of the House. This is a house of procedures and not a market," he affirmed.
