Court bars Nairobi's Speaker Ng'ondi from reconstituting committees

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Kennedy Ng’ondi. [Kelly Ayodi, Standard]

The High Court of Kenya has issued an order restraining the Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Kennedy Ng’ondi from reconstituting two of the Assembly's committees.

The order follows Ng’ondi’s recent move to disband the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Water and Sanitation Committee.

The Water and Sanitation Committee.is chaired by Ngei Ward MCA Redson Otieno while his counterpart Robert Alai serves as vice chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.

The two after the Speaker's communique, took it to court opposing his decision terming it as illegal as it goes against the Standing Order of the Assembly.

However, according to the Speaker, the Standing Orders gives him the powers to disband committees after some time.

A fact check by the Standard revealed that a County Speaker can only disband a committee after three years, which have not yet elapsed.

According to the two, the Speaker should have given a reason as to why he was reconstituting the committees before their allocated time, 

In its order, the High Court refrained the Speaker from implementing any decision concerning the reconstitution of select committees.

Further, Ng'ondi was directed to file a supplementary affidavit if he needed to, within the next seven days alongside written submissions.

“A conservatory order is hereby issued restraining the Respondent’s decision contained in the communication from the chair No 19 of 2024 dated April 17, 2024, directing the reconstitution of the selected Committee on Water and Sanitation of the second respondent.”