Nairobi MCA Habiba Hussein who lost her seat underwent two surgeries, lost baby

Senator Millicent Omanga has defended nominated MCA Habiba Hussein who lost her seat on Tuesday, having missed plenary sittings for two years.

She faulted Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi and MCA Alvin Palapala for trivializing the MCA’s absence.

“It is beyond comprehension how Hon. Beatrice Elachi, the Nairobi City County Assembly Speaker and a fellow woman, allowed such a reckless and irresponsible statement to be made on the floor of the House, without a bother to demand for authentication of the wild claims that were made,” she wrote.

She explained that Ms Hussein has been in and out of hospital for the last two years with her latest admission in February 2020.

The Nairobi MCA is said to have lost her baby after a complicated pregnancy in 2018 .

Doctors said the baby had been born with heart complications.

Medical reports seen by Citizen Digital indicate that Baby Shadia died from a blocked A-V valve just a few hours after birth.

It is suspected the baby developed the complication due to ulcer treatment that the MCA was undergoing during the pregnancy.

In the two years that she missed the plenary sittings, Ms Hussein underwent a myomectomy to remove uterine fibroids and a cholecystectomy to remove her gall bladder.

Despite her hospitalization, her seat was declared vacant by Speaker Beatrice Elachi on Tuesday in a move that Senator Omanga says was “almost satanic.

However, it is not clear whether there was communication from the MCA to the Speaker that she had been hospitalized several times and was unable to attend sittings.

The County Assembly recently  adopted a report by the Powers and Privileges committee investigating allegations of absenteeism from plenary sittings by members.

The report tabled by vice-chair and Githurai MCA Naftali Mathenge indicated that the nominated MCA had failed to attend any House session as well as committee sittings for two years.

“The Committee noted that the Honourable Habiba Hussein has neither been attending plenary or committee sittings for the last two years since nomination into the County Assembly,” said Mr Mathenge.

As a consequence, Mr Mathenge said the committee resolved to invoke provisions of Article 194(1) (b) of the Constitution as well as Standing Orders 242 (1) of the Nairobi County Assembly and Section 17(3) (h) of the County Assemblies Powers and Privileges Act, 2017 to advise the Speaker to declare the seat of Ms Hussein vacant.