City Hall thrown in chaos as top executives exchange blows

juma chrispinus

April 7, 2017 11:39 AM

Last year, a sergeant-at-arms drew his gun and threatened to shoot Kenya County Government Workers Union members who were fighting with members of the County Assembly over the same matter.

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A dramatic fight ensued Friday morning at Nairobi’s City Hall over office space.

The ugly clash between county executives and county assembly members is part of the early supremacy battles experienced in the county government of Nairobi last year.

The two warring blocks are fisting over the ownership of office located on the fourth floor of the Northern Wing of City Hall, Nairobi.

It is alleged that the county assembly erected a wall to block workers from Governor Evan Kidero’s office from accessing the disputed office.

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Speaking to the press, County Secretary Robert Ayisi has said that the barrier was put up last year after the House laid claim to the office.

The disputed office block houses the City’s Valuation Department.

“The office houses over 600 files, which the executive rely on to carry out their day-to-day business,” Dr Ayisi told a local daily.

He pointed an accusing finger at a top County Assembly official, who he claimed has been working to frustrate the county executive.

The executive had taken control of the contested space and workers were tearing down the wall by the time we went to press.

The clash saw police called in to restore order and the officers were manning the premises as the construction went on.

This is the second time the county executive and legislature are clashing over office space at the county headquarters.

In November last year, a sergeant-at-arms drew his gun and threatened to shoot Kenya County Government Workers Union members who were fighting with members of the County Assembly over the same office space.

The fight broke out after the workers decided to bring down a wall put up to deny county staff access to offices claimed by MCAs.

For months now, members of the county assembly and executive staff have been fighting over office space in what seems to be a supremacy battle pitting the county executive against the legislature.

juma chrispinus