Drop impeachment bid for dialogue, Elachi tells MCAs

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi has asked ward representatives to shelve the plan to impeach her and embrace dialogue.

Some of the Members of County Assembly had said they would hold a special sitting on Thursday on the conduct of the Speaker.

NON-ISSUE

Ms Elachi termed her conduct a "non-issue" and asked disgruntled MCAs to turn their focus to Nairobi's problems and their possible solutions.

She said her woes stem from allegations that she has prevented the MCAs from travelling for benchmarking, tender wars and her invitation of officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to the assembly.

“It is a non-issue but if you say you have their support and they say you are denying them trips, then you are lying," she said in Malindi

“I plead with the leaders of Nairobi [and say] it is important to sit down and discuss [issues]. The allegations against me are very interesting. I am told it is the party’s stand. Let them write to me. I will respect it because it is a party. They do not need to go through all this."

NO DRAMA

The Speaker also asked the leaders to stop resorting to "running the whole night discussing me" and tender resignation letters as "leaders were not elected to bring drama every day but to offer services to the people".

“I know they are frustrated, because they have loans but have not received their salaries, but we cannot push the frustration in this way. It is always good to look at the mood of the country. The mood is that right now we do not have resources [sic]," she said.

Ms Elachi said she has never denied an MCA the chance to travel and noted that she follows a policy and a circular by the government – sent to the Assembly before she became Speaker – that states that civil servants have to seek permission before taking trips.

“I have members who have just come from Sweden. Some are leaving this week for China and others for Dubai. I have signed [documents] for them to travel," she said.

She further termed the Integrated Financial Management Information System (Ifmis) her "defender" and said she will approve trips as long as MCAs show how Kenyans will benefit from benchmarking.

While noting that she has allowed the assembly’s leaders to append signatures of behalf of members, Ms Elachi accused them of using the privilege as tokenism and a chance to harass those opposed to them.

“Most are in fear that 'if I do not do it then I will not travel or I will be de-whipped from committees',” she said.

She thanked those who have stood with her.