Why I caused drama at County Assembly, City MCA reveals

Ngei Ward MCA Redson Otieno Otieno caused drama on the floor of the House on April 23, 2024. [Samson Wire, Standard]

Member of County Assembly Redson Otieno Onyango who caused drama in the Nairobi County Assembly has claimed that he was falsely accused of pocketing Sh25 million.

The Ngei Ward MCA claimed that some powerful forces conspired to remove him from the chairmanship of the Assembly Water Committee.

 Otieno caused drama on the floor of the House on April 23, 2024, when a motion seeking the house to adopt the new committee members was about to be tabled.

“Nothing is going to be read in this house. Why is it only Redson Otieno that is targeted? No, I refuse. For me to be removed as Chairman the communication needs to come from ODM Secretary General,” Onyango shouted.

Efforts by the Assembly Speaker Ken Ng’ondi to calm him down turned futile as he stood his ground shouting that he will not be intimidated.

“I will not allow the names of the water committee members to be read. Be fair because we are MCAs and we have been elected by our people,” Onyango added.

Attempts to kick him out of the afternoon session were also futile forcing the Speaker to prematurely adjourn the sitting.

The embattled Chairman has now revealed how he was accused of receiving some cash from the City water company meant for foreign trips of Committee members.

“Last week the Speaker announced that he had disbanded the Water Committee and Public Accounts Committee. I was forced to write to the ODM Secretary-General that the Water Committee was disbanded without any reason,” he explained.

“There were allegations that a water company gave me Sh25 million for Committee foreign trips, but the Speaker has the powers to summon the company to explain who took the money,” he added.

The embattled chairman revealed that he has only travelled once to Dubai since he took over.

"The best formula to remove me or others as recently witnessed was to collect signatures and make a decision but my case was made via a Zoom meeting," he explained.

Otieno regretted that some powerful people in the Assembly misuse their powers claiming that the decision to kick him out as the Water Chairman was political.

While disbanding the PAC Committee recently the Speaker stated that a sectoral committee is meant to serve for three sessions since the establishment of a new assembly.