Speaker Elachi and ex-Majority Leader Guyo bury hatchet to fight Sonko

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi and ousted Majority Leader Abdi Guyo have put aside their differences to rally Members of County Assembly (MCAs) behind them amid a mooted impeachment against Governor Mike Sonko.

Elachi and Guyo, who could not see eye to eye last year and were locked in fierce battles, came together on Tuesday at a Kamukunji held at City Hall and attended by several MCAs.

In their joint statement after the hours long meeting whose tone was anti-Sonko, Elachi and Guyo affirmed that there is a leadership crisis in the Nairobi County Government following the governor’s arrest and arraignment.

“As an Assembly we wish so strongly state categorically that we are aware that there is a leadership issue within the Nairobi City County Government after the Governor was arrested and charged with issues relating to corruption,” said Elachi.

The two declared support for the ongoing war against corruption, adding that: “We want to tell Nairobians that the era of corruption, nepotism, intimidation, favourism and victimization is history in the Nairobi County Government.”

Following the meeting, Speaker Elachi said they had resolved to recall over 100 county officers including County Executive Committee members (CECs) who were suspended under Sonko’s leadership except for those with court cases.

“It is not usual labour practice to suspend staff using WhatsApp forum and still maintain them on full pay. Over 100 key staff of the County Government of Nairobi on suspension are hereby instructed to return to work and perform their important duty of serving mwananchi who are the taxpayers,” reads the statement.

“All County CECs who were also suspended in similar manner are hereby notified to report back to their offices for smooth running of the operations of the county.”

The speaker said she had instructed the County Public Service Board to process all the suspensions and ensure the affected staff report to work within two weeks.

On Monday’s nomination of Ann Kananu Mwenda as deputy governor, the Speaker said she will address the matter  “in line with the Jubilee Party and the law once the House resumes from recess.”

After the Elachi, Guyo-led meeting a section of MCAs allied to the Governor stormed the venue chanting pro-Sonko slogans.

From September last year the supremacy battle between Guyo and Elachi had degenerated into chaos and pandemonium with their supporters baying for each others blood.

At one point Guyo’s supporters stormed the Speaker’s office destroying property worth millions as they sought to physically eject her from office.

Guyo would later face the wrath of Elachi’s supporters who teamed up and had him impeached from his position as Majority Leader.