Mombasa Governor Joho meets MCAs over continued assembly chaos

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has called on his allies to strike a deal with their opponents to end an impasse at the assembly.

Business at the county assembly has been paralysed for a month now with two rival factions of MCAs not agreeing on anything.

Mr Joho Wednesday met the two feuding factions at his office for talks that lasted for about two hours.

Likoni MCA Abdalla Kasagamba was stripped of his position as the Leader of the Majority. His deputy, nominated MCA Maimuna Chari Mwamasa took over the position in an acting capacity.

Reports indicated that Mr Kasagamba's fate will be decided by a six-member sub-committee formed on Monday, which is headed by Ganjoni/Shimanzi MCA Rashid Nasser.

Assembly Majority Whip Ahmed Omar Ibrahim said Kasagamba was sacked after failing to contain mounting disagreements marked by recent fights in the assembly.

Two factions pitting powerful nominated MCA and Mombasa ODM chairman Mohamed Hatimy against Assembly Speaker Thadius Rajwayi have emerged in the assembly. The groups accuse each other of corruption.

Mr Ibrahim said the in-fighting was giving ODM a bad name given that all the 30 MCAs in the assembly were elected on the ticket.

"Kasagamba has failed the party in the assembly. He has been talking against the county government instead of uniting the members," he said.

He added: "Kasagamba has stepped aside to pave way for Mtongwe MCA Hamisi Mwidani."