Punished for meeting PS? Why 4 Homa Bay MCAs are taking County Assembly to court

A group of Homa Bay Members of County Assembly (MCAs) has announced plans to move to the High Court, challenging their removal from key assembly committees and linking the decision to a recent meeting with Interior Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo.

Speaking to the media, the ward representatives maintained that their engagement with the senior national government official was lawful and within their mandate as elected leaders.

West Kasipul MCA Vickins Bondo defended the visit, describing PS Omollo as a public servant serving the entire country.

“We are elected to serve in our capacities and in our respective jurisdictions, but that does not limit us from associating with those serving in different capacities,” Bondo said.

He argued that such engagements are necessary to secure development projects and services from the national government, especially in areas where county governments may lack the mandate or resources.

According to him, the removal from committees appears to have followed shortly after their meeting with the PS, raising questions about whether the action was politically motivated.

Arujo MCA Tony Otieno confirmed that the affected members will seek judicial interpretation on whether a parliamentary party within the Homa Bay County Assembly has the authority to discharge independent MCAs from committees.

“We are moving to court to seek interpretation of the High Court on whether the parliamentary party in Homa Bay County Assembly has the right to discharge us as independent members from committees that we served,” Otieno said.

He added that they would also ask the court to determine whether there is a gap in the law or a misapplication of existing rules allowing members to be removed without due process.

“To us, this is malicious and very personal,” he said, insisting that no fair hearing was granted before the decision was made.

The MCAs say the case could provide broader legal guidance to other county assemblies grappling with similar disputes over committee assignments and party influence.

North Kabuoch MCA Boaz Kiri directly linked their removal to the meeting with Omollo, whom he described as a senior official in the State Department for Internal Security.

“It is official that the only reason as to why we have been removed from committees is that we visited Ray Omollo,” Kiri said.

He stated that the discussion did not touch on county matters but included a request from the PS for support in rallying support for President William Ruto ahead of the next General Election.

“Ray Omollo, being somebody who has been given this opportunity by His Excellency the President, requested us, as MCAs, that if possible, can we also help him drum up support for President William Samoei Ruto,” Kiri said.

The MCAs insist that engaging with national leaders does not amount to misconduct and should not attract disciplinary action within the county assembly.

The dispute now shifts to the courts, where the MCAs hope to secure clarity on the limits of party authority within county legislatures, especially concerning independently elected members.

Their case is expected to test whether committee appointments and removals must strictly adhere to principles of natural justice, including the right to a fair hearing, or whether internal parliamentary party processes are sufficient grounds for such decisions.

As the legal process unfolds, the standoff underscores the delicate intersection between county politics, party loyalty and national influence ahead of the 2027 election cycle.