Showdown looms as city MCAs plans to impeach Elachi again

A showdown is looming at the Nairobi County Assembly with rival MCAs set to launch a fresh impeachment motion against Speaker Beatrice Elachi.

The assembly has been on a two-week break since its indefinite adjournment by Speaker Elachi, following chaos at the precincts when she returned on October 9.

Ms Elachi said she took the decision in order for normalcy to return as members would use the time away to resolve their differences and chart the way forward.

Regular sittings will resume on Tuesday afternoon following the Speaker's gazetting of October 29 as the resumption date.

“We expect it will be business as usual. We have just had a meeting of the House Business Committee and set the agenda for the afternoon sitting,” she said.

PLOTTED CHAOS

However, the rival faction led by majority leader Abdi Guyo alleged a plan to cause chaos and intimidate members but said they will not relent in their quest to once again impeach Ms Elachi.

Ward representatives claimed they had not set foot at the assembly precincts since Ms Elachi returned for fear of being attacked.

“We have credible information that some people have planned to cause chaos when we resume," South B MCA Chege Waithera told a press conference at Bonds Restaurant in Nairobi on Monday.

"We are calling on the national government to provide security at the assembly precincts starting 11am."

FRESH IMPEACHMENT

MCAs allied to the Jubilee Party wing, nevertheless, said they will not be deterred and will attend Tuesday's session.

“We will be present for the plenary and also for the committee sittings. We shall continue with our mandate,” said Waithaka's Anthony Kiragu.

On the impeachment motion, Ms Waithera said 67 ward representatives have signed the censure motion, a number that surpasses the threshold of 45 members.

She said the impeachment motion will be moved by Utawala MCA Patrick Karani.

“We have resolved to impeach her for the second time and set the record straight. The signatures show support for the motion,” she said.

“We have chosen to take her back home where she belongs. We will do what needs to be done to restore sanity at the assembly,” added Mr Kiragu.

PARTY INTERFERENCE

The MCAs also warned Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju against meddling with party affairs at the assembly, accusing him of forming a rogue committee that has interfered with its independence.

They claimed a number of them have been approached and told to push for the majority leader seat to be taken from Mr Guyo and given to an MCA from the Mt Kenya region.

Mihang’o MCA Paul Kados and Roysambu's Peter Warutere claimed they had personally been approached on the matter.

“We want the party to remain independent and stop taking tribal inclinations in its decisions. They must follow the law in removal of any member from a leadership position or from the assembly board,” said Mr Kiragu.

ELACHI READY

Last week, Speaker Elachi said she was ready to work with all MCAs and dismissed claims that her return had to do with the support of ODM ward representatives.

This was after Mr Tuju brokered what seemed to be a truce between the party’s warring factions at the assembly.

Ms Elachi’s extended an olive branch to Mr Guyo, but he dismissed her move, saying they will remain allied to “their speaker”, Ngara MCA Chege Mwaura.

“We will not work together until the party brings us to the table so we can air our grievances, because Elachi is a Jubilee speaker."