Former Mombasa County Assembly Majority Leader, Hon. Athman Rama Mwamiri, has strongly condemned his removal from office, describing it as “the weaponization of power” and pledging not to yield to political coercion.
The ousted majority leader has accused rivals of abusing power to push him out, calling the move “political manipulation at its worst.”
In a press statement released on Friday, Mwamwiri accused certain figures within the Assembly’s leadership of exploiting the institution for personal gain at the expense of Mombasa residents.
“I am being targeted for one reason only—because I speak my mind without fear. Because I refuse to be anyone’s puppet,” he said defiantly.
Speaker Aharub Khatri announced Mwamwiri’s replacement during the Assembly’s August 5 sitting at 2:30 p.m., citing Standing Orders 15(3), 15(4), and 15(5). The change followed a July 3 resolution by ODM MCAs endorsing Ganjoni MCA Prischilla Mema Mumba as the new Majority Leader.
However, Mwamiri maintains that ODM headquarters had written to him affirming that the “status quo” should remain. He claims he has never received any formal complaint, Hansard record, or official correspondence justifying his removal.
He also challenged the Speaker’s account that the leadership vote took place on a Saturday, noting that on the alleged date, members were publicly accompanying the Deputy President in Likoni.
Calling for respect for due process and democratic principles, Mwamiri warned: “I can live without the title, but I will not watch the Assembly be turned into a playground for manipulation. The people of Mombasa deserve better.”
His remarks came just hours after ODM MCAs from Mombasa, led by Old Town MCA Abdirahman Hussein, publicly rejected any interference from the party’s Nairobi headquarters in the Assembly’s leadership matters, urging a greater focus on grassroots party strengthening.
