Court suspends appointment of Edward Gichana as Nairobi County Assembly clerk

The High Court has suspended the appointment of Edward Gichana as the new Nairobi County Assembly clerk pending hearing and determination of a petition filed by Jacob Ngwele whom he was set to replace.

Gichana was sworn-in and his appointment gazetted last Friday by County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi.

In a gazette notice dated July 24, 2020, Elachi said the assembly’s service board had appointed Mr. Gichana as the new clerk to replace Jacob Ngwele.

Ngwele however moved to court insisting that he is the legally recognised clerk of the county assembly.

“A Conservatory Order is hereby issued suspending the operation and/or implementation of purported appointment of Edward Ombwori Gichana as the Clerk of the Nairobi City County Assembly with effect from 23rd July 2020 as published by the 1st Respondent in the Kenya Gazette Notice No. 5072 of 24th July 2020 published in the Special Issue of the Kenya Gazette VOL. 00(11-No. 143 of 24th July 2020 pending the service, hearing and determination of this Application,” ordered judge Maureen Onyango.

Speaker Elachi and the Nairobi County Assembly Board have been listed as the first an second respondents respectively.

The appointment of Gichana as the new County Assembly clerk was met with opposition from a section of MCAs.

Speaker Beatrice Elachi and Jacob Ngwele have been at loggerheads since 2018.