Nairobi MCAs fault Sakaja for delay of House sessions
A section of Nairobi MCAs yesterday raised questions over the delay by Governor Johnson Sakaja to gazette a sitting where they will be sworn in.
The MCAs accused Sakaja of insincerity, saying the anomaly is affecting service delivery to Nairobi residents. “We are really concerned about this delay since no one is telling us what has informed it. The truth of the matter is that Sakaja is not only punishing MCAs but he is punishing Nairobi residents. Issues like handling pending bills cannot be discharged,” Kileleshwa MCA-elect Robert Alai said.
He stated that failure to gazette the sitting is hampering the MCAs’ right to play their oversight role. “IEBC gazetted the nominated MCAs and the governor has not gazetted the sitting. I understand the Kenya Kwanza team is trying to buy time to lobby for the election of the speaker,” he said.
Hospital Hill Ward MCA-elect Mark Thiga urged the governor to convene the sitting as soon as possible. “City residents are expecting a lot from us, we are hoping the sitting will be this week so that we can immediately start our work,” he said.
However, Makongeni MCA-elect Peter Imwatok said that he spoke to Sakaja last week and he promised to gazette the sitting this week.“There is nothing sinister about it.
The governor has assured us that he will gazette the sitting this week. There are those who are also claiming that the delay is meant to buy MCAs from Azimio to boost Kenya Kwanza quest for the speakers’ seat. This is very far from the truth, Azimio MCAs in Nairobi are revolutionary and you cannot buy them as you wish,” he said.
Electoral agency
Last week, the electoral agency gazetted all the Nominated MCAs for the 47 county assemblies. On their first sitting, the MCAs will elect the speaker.
Azimio-One Kenya principals have already endorsed former Nairobi assembly deputy speaker Ken Ng’ondi for the speaker’s post.
Jubilee, which is also in Azimio, is however fronting Harrison Wangoro Mwangi as its candidate for the position.
Mwangi unsuccessfully contested the Embakasi North MP seat in the August polls.
Kenya Kwanza has fronted Benson Mutura, the outgoing Speaker.
The county has 124 MCAs from whom Kenya Kwanza has 39 elected while Azimio has 44 while the rest are nominated. Embakasi West Ward is yet to elect a representative/
