More trouble for Speaker Elachi at City Hall

juma chrispinus

June 19, 2018 9:01 AM

The troubles come a day after the MCAs moved a motion to impeach her.

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi has been suspended as a member of the Nairobi County Assembly Service Board, pending investigations into alleged abuse of the tendering process for the residence of county speaker.

The board has suspended Ms Elachi alongside Assembly Clerk Jacob Ngwele, who has in the recent past been in fights with the speaker, after a closed door meeting Monday afternoon.

Ms Elachi told the media on Monday evening that her fallout with the City Hall bosses started when she questioned an inflated value of the Speaker’s residence in Nairobi’s Karen Estate with over Sh30 million.

Earlier, a multi-million shilling house had already been identified in Karen for purchase, but the process was abruptly halted by Ngwele. The Clerk claimed that failure to approve the purchase resulted in the bad blood between him and Elachi.

ALSO READ: Motion to impeach Speaker launched

But Elachi said she never bothered to know which company had tendered for the contract, and the purchase was halted on realisation that the assembly had not done much for city residents.

“I know I’m fighting an old board which is very adamant. If there was truth to their clams, they should have raised the issue back in February. Why wait till now?” remarked Elachi.

Dozens of both Nasa and Jubilee affiliated MCAs had mounted pressure to the two to step aside to facilitate the investigations into the alleged botched tendering process.

On Monday, however, Waithaka Ward MCA Anthony Kiragu moved a motion to impeach Elachi on grounds that she was misusing her office, conflict of interest and undermining the board which has sent her packing.

The members were bothered by Elachi's decision to invite investigators to look into the irregular transfer of Sh45 million meant for members' car loan scheme, saying that should have been the board's mandate.

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