Nairobi Speaker Beatrice Elachi suspended from board

Nairobi Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi. FILE PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Ms Elachi suspended as the chair of county service board in absentia by the other three members of the Nairobi County Assembly Service Board.
  • The board members said they have lost confidence in the leadership of Ms Elachi, accusing her of alleged abuse of office.

Pressure is mounting on Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi to step aside after being suspended from the assembly’s service board with an impeachment motion against her set to be tabled before the Assembly on Tuesday.

Ms Elachi was suspended as the chair of the board on Monday in absentia by the other three members of the Nairobi County Assembly Service Board who cited lack of confidence in her leadership.

Majority leader Mr Abdi Guyo, said that the decision was arrived at by the members of the board in a meeting held on Monday.

“We as the board have lost confidence in her and she is no longer our chairperson, and we have decided that the vice chair should act now as the chair,” said Mr Guyo.

ACCUSATIONS

The majority leader also accused Ms Elachi of abuse of office, asking the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to investigate the Speaker for allegedly flying on a first-class ticket contrary to the law.

The board has also terminated the contract of the Speaker’s personal assistant for allegedly attending committee meetings contrary to the law and drawing allowances for the same.

“We have instructed that the money be recovered from him,” Mr Guyo said.

On the impeachment motion by Waithaka Ward MCA Anthony Kiragu Karanja, Mr Guyo said the motion has already been signed by more 43 ward representatives thus meeting that threshold required to table the motion before the House.

“The impeachment motion is there and the threshold to impeach her has been met and will on Tuesday be tabled where only 84 votes are need to impeach the speaker. She has failed in leadership where is accused of nepotism and being openly biased,” said the Jubilee MCA.