Embu MCAs storm out as committee reshuffle sparks political fallout

A political storm is brewing at the Embu County Assembly after members of the Minority Wing staged a walkout over a controversial motion seeking to reconstitute House committees. The dramatic walkout followed a heated confrontation between Majority and Minority MCAs over the legality and procedure used to table the report. Minority members accused the executive arm of the county government of orchestrating the changes to punish legislators perceived to be opposed to its administration. Minority leader and Mavuria MCA Ngari Mbaka led the opposition members, including Kiambere MCA Lenny Masters, Nthawa MCA Sammy Tito, Makima MCA Philip Nzangi and Nominated MCA Yvone Mati, out of the chamber after Speaker Josiah Thiriku allowed Majority Leader and Mbeti North MCA Peter Muriithi to proceed with the motion. Tensions had escalated earlier when Speaker Thiriku warned that disorderly members could be declared unruly and removed from the chamber, further inflaming the already charged sitting. The Minority side argued that the Assembly’s Selection Committee had not been properly convened to deliberate on the proposed changes, questioning how the report had reached the floor for debate. Mbaka cited the Assembly’s Standing Orders, insisting that consultation among parties and members was required before committee membership could be altered. The Minority MCAs described the report as an illegitimate document allegedly prepared outside the Assembly and accused the Majority side of attempting to de-whip legislators who had increasingly challenged the county administration. They alleged that the report had been secretly prepared to target perceived government critics. Speaker Thiriku, however, dismissed the allegations, stating that nothing was amiss and noting that the report had been signed by four of the eight members of the Selection Committee. Speaking to journalists outside the Assembly chambers, the Minority MCAs maintained that the Majority Leader could not move the motion before members of the Selection Committee had reached an agreement. Mbaka accused Muriithi of violating the House Standing Orders and alleged that there was a hidden motive behind the proposed changes. Makima Ward MCA Philip Nzangi alleged that the executive was meddling in the affairs of the Assembly, claiming the decision to reconstitute the committees had been rushed to serve the interests of certain quarters. Despite the walkout and protests, the Majority-backed faction proceeded with the debate and eventually passed the report ratifying the committee changes without opposition from the Minority Wing. The episode has exposed widening political fault lines within the Embu County Assembly, with the committee reshuffle emerging as a major political issue rather than a routine administrative exercise.