City MCAs back introduction of new Bill

Nairobi County MCAs have backed the introduction of a fresh Supplementary Appropriations Bill to ensure operationalisation of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).

The ward reps threw their weight behind the resolve by Governor Mike Sonko who on Tuesday announced that he had drafted a new bill due to be tabled before the city assembly for consideration.

The MCAs announced their support for the bill following a Jubilee MCAs’ caucus meeting at Governor Mike Sonko’s Upper Hill office on Tuesday.  

Led by Assembly Majority Leader Abdi Guyo, the 51 Jubilee-allied MCAs who had attended the meeting vowed that they would ensure the new bill sails through the legislative process in record time, to ensure funding of the NMS, whose operations have been affected by the wrangles pitting the Assembly and the executive.

Guyo said that the MCAs had sought the input of the NMS on the new bill in order to better take care of their concerns.

“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 Guyo through a statement.

Guyo who doubles up as Matopeni ward MCA, further extended an olive branch to unnamed MCAs who he said threatened to delay the funding of the NMS by creating obstacles to meaningful talks to resolve the impasse.

“We are aware that there are those who have written letters to the office of the AG in their individual capacities, some even purporting to write on my behalf as majority leader, contesting the revocation of the Bill. We want to invite them to join us in quickly in finding ways to address the impasse through the available legal mechanisms instead of the needless bickering,” he said.

Meanwhile, majority leader Abdi Guyo has urged the office of the AG and the Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto to ignore letters issued to his office on Monday, by the former majority leader Charles Thuo and minority leader David Mberia, criticising the decision to annul the Supplementary Appropriations Bill, 2020.

Guyo maintained that he was the substantive majority leader following the confirmation by Jubilee Party and that the letter, which had indicated that Mr Thuo as the majority leader, was fake.

“Additionally, letters received from any other party other than the Speaker of the County Assembly or the clerk are to be treated as individual opinions which do not represent the position of the Assembly,” added Guyo.