Drama as drunk lawmaker disrupts legislative business

There was drama in Embu’s County Assembly Wednesday when a visibly inebriated Ward Representative disrupted legislative business with unruly outbursts and disorderly conduct.

Trouble started when Gaturi South MCA John Mwangi arrived at the county legislature for the 9am sitting and wrestled the division bell from Sergeant At Arms Michael Olang’ and started ringing it to summon his colleagues into the House while dancing around the entrance to the debating chambers.

Mwangi however left the Assembly precincts immediately afterwards, only to stagger back at 2:30pm for the afternoon sitting while spewing profanities in vernacular.

Nthawa MCA Ngari Makenge, who presided over the afternoon sitting as the Temporary Speaker, had a hard time containing the tipsy ‘Honourable Member’ who stood on more than 10 occasions to raise points of order that were all overruled on account of frivolity and flimsiness.

A rowdy Mwangi later resorted to standing and shouting without permission from the Speaker, consequently interrupting his counterparts who were debating the fate of Embu County’s budget for the 2017/2018 Financial Year.

The Temporary Speaker fell short of throwing the MCA, who was reportedly reeking of alcohol, after his interruptions became too many and just let him off with a warning.

Pupils of All Saints Kigari Primary School were baffled to witness the wild behaviour of the firebrand politician.

There was a light moment when Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairman Joseph Mwaniki alerted the Speaker that Mwangi was emitting too much negative energy, attributing it to his (Mwangi’s) unkempt long hair, likening him to the Biblical strongman, Samson.

A shouting match ensued as Mwangi demanded retraction of the words, which he termed as unparliamentarily and offending then called for an immediate apology.

On the Speaker’s advice, the Mavuria MCA withdrew and apologised to avoid a further squabble.

The inebriated MCA then rose to his feet, threw an empty water bottle across the debate chambers and marched close to the Mace, but instead of bowing, he awkwardly bent sideways as if to ridicule the Speaker and exited in a huff, leaving his fellow MCAs murmuring in low tones.

Mwangi has in the past been cited for his drunkenness and at one time suspended from Assembly sittings after being involved in fisticuffs with commissionaires for attempting to steal the Mace.