Motion to impeach Nairobi Speaker Beatrice Elachi flops

What you need to know:

  • Pressure is mounting on Beatrice Elachi to step aside after being suspended from the assembly’s service board.
  • Majority leader Mr Abdi Guyo, said that the decision was arrived at by the members of the board in a meeting held on Monday.

A motion to impeach Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi failed to be tabled before the Assembly after the mover of the motion failed to appear before the House.

The motion, prepared by Waithaka Ward MCA Mr Antony Kiragu Karanja, was set to be presented before the House on Tuesday after gaining the required number of signatures to be given a slot for debate but that never happened.

NOTICE

The notice motion had gained 67 signatures against only 43 signatures required for such a motion to be tabled before the Assembly.

Deputy Speaker John Kamangu Nyumu, who was presiding over the sitting, after waiting for some minutes for the notice of motion to be made; adjourned the sittings to Wednesday.

“Is there anyone who was sent to table the notice of motion…? The House stands adjourned to tomorrow 2.30pm,” said the Ruai MCA bringing to an end a sitting which was attended by only a few MCAs.

Pressure is mounting on Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi to step aside after being suspended from the assembly’s service board.

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.