County swears its MCAs

The newly elected kirinyaga County Assembly Speaker Murimi Muteti waves his election certificate as the Assembly Clerk Kamau Audi (centre) and Sergeant at Arms cheer him up this morning moments after winning the position

A total of 31  MCAs for the Kirinyaga County Assembly have  been sworn in save for the 32 nd one who did not turn up.

Pauline   Kamau who prior to her nomination to the Assembly was the County Director of Administration at   the County Government did not show up nor  answer  when her name was  called out by the Assembly Clerk Kamau Aidi.

She neither sent an apology  nor  her representative to notify  the Clerk why she had absconded  the ceremony.

The County has 20 elected MCAs while the  11  others are nominated and included  two living with disabilities Njoki Mitaru (physically impaired )  and hearing impaired Harrison Bundi.

Mutithi Ward MCA Jenaro Njaamumo moments after taking oath of office at the Kirinyaga County Assembly and later being elected unopposed as the Assembly Deputy Speaker as his boss Murimi Muteti (right) and the Assembly Clerk Kamau Aidi look on this morning

This was  the first time since the inception of the Assembly in 2013 ,  a sign language interpreter was introduced and accommodated  in the House .

 While introducing   the Interpreter Abednego Ng’eno  to the MCAs before the  ceremony , Aidi told them to learn to live with him in the next five years  where he will be the personal assistant  to Bundi in all matters  that will be transpiring in the  Assembly proceedings .  

Bundi  plunged  into the mucky world of politics during the   UDA nominations but due to his limitation in speech he was floored at the onset  .

Luck however came calling after his name was listed among the nomination slot of the party (UDA), culminating to his appearance at the Assembly this morning.    

The swearing in was carried out in order of seniority of those who were now coming to start their   third consecutive term.

Kinyua  Wa Wangui led the  seniority  followed by    David Mathenge, among others who served during the first  Assembly in 2013  lost but made a comeback.

Caroline   Wanjiku Muirithi who served as a nominated MCA during the last term sprung back as an elected  MCA for Karumandi Ward  and  has since made history after becoming  the first elected MCA since  the onset of devolution in the County.

Harrison Bundi ,the nominated kirinyaga County Assembly MCA speaks to the media upon being sworn in this morning through his sign language interpreter Abedinego Ngeno (right facing the cameras) . Bundi has some hearing impairment.

The Ndia UDA parliamentary loser at the nominations stage Murimi Muteti   was elected the Assembly Speaker after he garnered all the 31 votes cast while his sole opponent Joel Wagura who served as the Deputy   Speaker during  the last term scored Zero votes .

Earlier on a third    contender Calbert  Njeru withdrew his candidature vide his letter to the assembly Clerk leaving the contest between the two .

 A first  term (2013) Mutithi MCA Jenaro  was elected  the Deputy Speaker after his  sole opponent Kinyua wa  Wangui withdrew from the race  at the eleventh  hour .

Muteti after  the  ceremony told  reporters that the  Assembly will  now formally convene on Oct 4 when Governor Anne Waiguru will  officially open the consecutive sittings .

Anne Wangeci served as the pioneer Speaker followed by Wachira Githanda who resigned after serving for only eight months after the 2017 general elections and was succeeded by Anthony Gathumbi  who is the immediate former speaker .

Githanda is now the Deputy Governor after he was picked by Waiguru as her running mate during the August 9 general elections.