Nairobi MCAs say they are over Speaker Elachi’s impeachment saga

Nairobi County sergeant-at-arms prevents MCAs from forcefully evicting Speaker Beatrice Elachi at the county offices. [Beverlyne Musili/Standard]

The Nairobi County Assembly which resumed sittings on Tuesday has resolved to move on from the debacle which is the impeachment of Speaker Beatrice Elachi.

The members also expressed their respect for the courts and in that regard resolved that deputy speaker, John Kamangu would continue steering assembly affairs in acting capacity until Elachi’s case was heard.

Elachi was impeached on September 6 for alleged gross misconduct and abuse of power in her absence, but obtained court orders temporarily reinstating her to the position.

On September 10 however, the MCAs stormed her office and dramatically ejected her.

This is even as sergeants-at-arm have been given strict orders not to allow any of Elachi’s secretaries into the assembly precincts.

County Assembly Majority Leader, Abdi Guyo told the standard that MCAs would not replace Elachi as speaker but nominate Kamangu to the position in acting capacity.

“We are being guided by the County Governments act which directs that in case of any issue that directly touches on the speaker emerges, then the assembly shall nominate someone to serve in acting capacity. As the assembly resumes today, the deputy speaker will be in charge,” said Guyo.

Minority Chief Whip Peter Imwatok, said that the MCAs were going to determine whether there was a vacuum in the assembly following Elachi’s ouster and if so determined, they would vote for someone else to fill that position.  “As far as we are concerned, Elachi is no longer the speaker of this assembly. She might have been reinstated but as her employers we do not recognize her as a substantive speaker,” said Imwatok.

 Adding, “We are employers of the speaker and she has to follow the same procedure we used to oust her in that even if she comes back she has to be voted to be speaker. We cannot work in an assembly retrogressively,” said Imwatok.

His sentiments were echoed by Kilimani MCA Moses Ogeto who urged Elachi not to ‘impose herself’ on members. “The assembly already lost confidence in her and I don’t see how anyone can restore that,” said Ogeto.

Meanwhile, the city assembly resumed sittings on Tuesday with a full plate of activities. Top among their agendas is the approval of the county’s 2018-19 Finance Bill before September 30. They will also review the 2018-19 budget after the government cut down the counties’ allocation.

They will also be looking to respond to 42 pending statements not forgetting debating on four bills. 

The planned impeachment of Governor Mike Sonko is also expected to take centre stage with the idea already causing friction between different factions at the assembly.