Five Wiper ward reps in trouble for visiting DP William Ruto

Machakos County Assembly speaker Florence Mwangangi and the Assembly’s Majority leader Mark Muendo during a press conference at Machakos County Assembly on October 1, 2021. [John Muia,Standard]

Five Wiper MCAs have been put on the party’s radar over their recent visit to Deputy President William Ruto's Karen residence in Nairobi.

Machakos County Assembly Speaker Florence Mwangangi, deputy Speaker Paul Museku and Leader of Majority Mark Muendo yesterday said the process of instituting disciplinary measures against the leaders had already begun.

“The code of conduct of political leaders is well spelt out in the Political Parties Act as regards their relationship with other political parties or institutions. Their actions clearly contravened the established guidelines and principles set out in the law, and they must be ready to face the consequences,” said Ms Mwangangi.

The MCAs are Tariq Mulatya (Masinga Central), Cosmus Ngula (Matungulu East), Cosmus Kieti (Lower Kaewa), Joseph Wambua (Mbiuni) and Agatha Mutunga (Nominated).

Mwangangi termed the Ward Representatives' action as gross misconduct, adding that the party’s disciplinary organ will not spare them.

Their Karen visit has triggered debate among the locals, coming at a time when the Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and some of his allies in the One Kenya Alliance are yet to declare their candidature in next year's poll.

Both the speaker and the leader of majority were of the view that the MCAs went against the party which sponsored them, especially by paying “unofficial” courtesy call on the DP, who was in direct competition with Kalonzo.

“They (the MCAs) cannot argue that they were paying a courtesy call on the Deputy President because such arrangements are done procedurally and formally through the established offices. In this case, it was obvious that they went there in their own capacities because their visit was never sanctioned by Wiper party,” said Mwangangi.

But Ngula laughed off the accusations, and dared the party to take action: “We went to see Ruto as the Deputy President of Kenya and not as the leader of the United Democratic Alliance.”