Machakos County Assembly to reopen after 49-day shutdown

The Machakos County Assembly is scheduled to resume its plenary and committee sessions on Monday, following a 49-day halt.

The indefinite suspension had brought legislative activities to a standstill.

Speaker Ann Kiusya, who is currently facing an impeachment case in court, communicated the decision in an official notice to Members of the County Assembly.

The announcement came after she chaired a County Assembly Service Board meeting on Thursday, where it was resolved that all Assembly activities would resume immediately.

According to the notice dated May 22 and signed by Speaker Ann Kiusya, the County Assembly Service Board resolved to immediately lift the suspension on both plenary and committee sittings, as well as the ban on official travel for MCAs, locally and abroad.

This development marks the latest turn in a deepening standoff within the county’s legislative arm, as tensions escalate between Speaker Kiusya and a section of MCAs led by Majority Leader Nicholas Nzioka.

The Speaker is currently defending herself against an impeachment motion in court.

On Thursday, Nzioka, who also represents Machakos Central Ward, asserted that MCAs had resolved to proceed with committee meetings, arguing that the Speaker had overstepped her mandate by suspending them in the first place.

Majority Leader Nicholas Nzioka has accused Speaker Ann Kiusya of violating Standing Order 161 by unilaterally suspending committee sittings through a notice dated April 8, 2025.

According to Nzioka, the authority to issue such notices lies with the Clerk of the County Assembly, not the Speaker.

"The law is clear — notices for committee meetings should come from the Clerk, not the Speaker. By suspending the sittings indefinitely under the pretext of security concerns, the Speaker acted outside her legal mandate," said Nzioka, who also serves as the Machakos Central Ward MCA.

Majority Leader Nicholas Nzioka has called on all 59 Members of the County Assembly to reconvene at the Machakos County Assembly on Friday to resume pending committee work, stressing that several matters require urgent attention.

He clarified that their actions would not amount to contempt of court, as they would steer clear of discussing the Speaker’s impeachment or engaging in any business under judicial scrutiny.

"I urge all Committee Chairpersons to inform the Clerk’s office of their intention to hold meetings without delay," Nzioka stated.

Meanwhile, the Senate has moved to intervene in the ongoing standoff at the Machakos County Assembly.

In a letter dated May 20, 2025, the Senate’s Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations summoned key stakeholders—including Speaker Ann Kiusya, the acting Clerk of the Assembly, and Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu—to appear before it on Tuesday next week.

The move follows a request by Senator Kavindu, who sought a formal statement from the committee regarding the indefinite suspension of Assembly operations, which has sparked a political and legal impasse in the county.