This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
On May 11, 2020, Governor Mike Sonko of Nairobi County demanded the resignation of Speaker Beatrice Elachi over her handling of a revoked supplementary bill that allocated Sh15 billion to Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS).
According to Sonko, Elachi ignored the law in the drafting and passage of the Nairobi County Supplementary Appropriations Bill, 2020, which was de-gazetted by the government printer after an order from Solicitor General Ken Ogeto.
“What the speaker of the Nairobi Assembly has treated Nairobians and Kenyans at large for the last one month is sufficient to call for her resignation and that is the position of the governor. She no longer befits to hold that position because she deliberately chose on the path of impunity,” said Sonko’s spokesperson Ben Mulwa.
However, Elachi maintained that due process was followed in the whole process, asking Ogeto to shed light on what constituted ancillary services in the Deed to avoid another stalemate in future budgeting.
Despite the controversy, more than 50 Jubilee MCAs have pledged to support a new supplementary budget that the Executive is preparing to forward to the assembly for consideration.
“We have already spoken to the governor and he has agreed, in line with the AG’s advisory, to quickly publish a new bill and forward it to the Assembly for consideration. We have equally reached out to the NMS for their input on the bill so that we can better address their concerns,” said Matopeni MCA Abdi Guyo.
