Why bid to kick out two Nairobi ODM men flopped

The ODM letter from Mbadi to the speaker of the Nairobi County Assembly .

The Nairobi County Assembly has nullified ODM’s replacement of Minority Leader Elias Otieno and Chief Whip Peter Imwatok.

Acting Speaker Chege Mwaura said that ODM chairman John Mbadi did not follow the law when removing the two MCAs from their leadership positions.

On Thursday, Mr Mbadi wrote to the Speaker notifying him of Mr Otieno's replacement with Highrise MCA Kennedy Oyugi and Mr Imwatok's replacement with Lower Savanna MCA Nicholas Okumu.

Mr Mwaura wrote back saying that according to the Standing Orders, changes in House party leadership can only be communicated in writing to the Speaker by the Whip Mbadi's letter, he added, was not accompanied by minutes of the party’s resolution on the matter.

Mwaura also pointed out that the assembly only recognised Nasa as the political entity with minority members in the assembly and not ODM, thus any leadership changes should be made by Nasa and not ODM.

He cited a precedent set in the Senate by Speaker Kenneth Lusaka.