On Tuesday, November 26, the Nakuru County Assembly descended into chaos when Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) erupted into a physical altercation that disrupted the day’s proceedings.
The confrontation was triggered by controversial leadership changes announced by Assembly Speaker Joel Karuri, who appointed William Mutai from Keringet Ward as the new Majority Leader.
The speaker’s announcement immediately met with strong resistance from a segment of MCAs who vehemently opposed the leadership reshuffle. What began as a verbal disagreement quickly escalated into a full-blown physical confrontation between two opposing factions within the assembly.
Huyo nominated MCA Leah Serem carried eggs all the way from Kuresoi to Nakuru kuitumia kupiga a fellow, elected, MCA nayo
— Abdulahi Adan (@AbdulahiAdan10) November 26, 2024
We are aware of the shame our MCAs are exposing themselves to daily physical confrontations…
But hii ya Serem…is a first ever in Kenya since… pic.twitter.com/qIL389hPXP
Heated Moment: An Egg Becomes a Weapon of Protest
In a particularly dramatic moment, Kiamaina MCA Paul Warigi was struck on the neck with an egg during the melee. Warigi described the incident, stating,
“When the speaker was making the announcement, one MCA threw an egg at me, which landed on my neck. As you can see, it hit me on the head, and as reputable people, we should not reach that level.”
Kiamaina MCA hit with an egg on the head after chaos rocks Nakuru County Assembly over leadership row pic.twitter.com/tHTHGivVQU
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) November 26, 2024
MCAs present at the scene expressed frustration, suggesting that the conflict extended beyond the immediate assembly and originated from higher party echelons. One MCA commented,
“This was a political battle… we realized that this battle does not emanate from within, it is from the party headquarters. This is beyond.”
A section of the MCAs accused the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party leadership of failing to effectively manage internal political rivalries. This comes in the wake of similar crisis where the governor of Kericho County, Dr. Eric Mutai sought forgiveness from MCAs who wanted to impeach him.
Background to the Leadership Change
The leadership transition came after the dismissal of previous Majority Leader Alex Lagat from Mosop ward. Lagat, who had served in the role for two years, was removed by fellow MCAs on grounds of alleged incompetence.
The UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar had previously approved Lagat’s removal, urging the assembly to prioritize unity.
Assembly Speaker Joel Karuri was forced to temporarily suspend the mid-morning session. Despite the tumultuous events, he expressed commitment to reconciling the rivaling parties and ensuring a smooth transition in the leadership appointment.
