Intrigues behind Speaker Elachis battle with Nairobi MCAs

More details have emerged into the intrigues that might have triggered the ouster of Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi.

Citizen Digital has learnt that investigators are now probing allegations that the speaker was targeted for sealing loopholes used by the Members of County Assembly to mint millions of shillings in travel allowances and procurement deals.

Sources privy to the investigations on the MCAs say the county legislators were frustrated by Elachi’s gate keeping measures driving them to push the motion for her impeachment.

The MCAs are alleged to have contacts in foreign countries who write letters to the county assembly speaker offering training opportunities and subsequently, the MCAs start pushing for travel allowances.

It is also claimed that the MCAs have been using proxy companies to do business deals in shady procurement arrangements, with loopholes sealed by Elachi making her unpopular.

Following the chaos witnessed on Monday as the MCAs forcefully ejected Elachi from office, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is now probing the Nairobi MCAs and county officials for gross misconduct, abuse of office and conflict of interest in the shady procurement deals.

The anti-graft body has since summoned atleast 12 county leaders who were supposed to begin appearing before the commission from Wednesday to Friday this week.

However, the MCAs, who are on a week-long retreat in Mombasa, claim there is witch-hunt in the summons.

“Madam Speaker has been impeached and that stands as it is. We are not going to be coerced or intimidated.

“When Members of the National Assembly were passing the controversial National Security Amendment law, they literally fought. Did they (EACC) summon them,” posed Nairobi County Assembly Majority Leader Ibrahim Abdi.

On her part, Speaker Elachi has remained defiant that her ouster is a case of sour grapes from the disgruntled lot of MCAs.

“The Majority Leader’s role cannot be harassment and intimidating party members with threats of being removed,” said Elachi on Wednesday.

The embattled speaker was last week ousted by the MCAs who achieved the two-thirds majority required after 103 members voted in favour of the ouster.

Elachi, however, immediately moved to court and obtained conservatory orders blocking her removal from office pending the hearing and determination of her petition

With both parties digging in, the stalemate will seemingly persist until the court decides on Elachi’s removal.