Speaker Elachi explains exactly why she refused to allow debate on People's Assembly

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi has explained why she refused to allow debate on People’s Assembly.

Elachi said she refused to allow the debate to go on because it was against the law. 

She said she did not want to be held in contempt since there was a court order barring all county assemblies from debating the motion.

On Thursday, NASA MCAs walked out of the assembly chambers after the speaker refused to allocate time for debate on the motion for a second time.

The motion was not listed on the order paper, but Minority Chief Whip Peter Imwatok wanted to use a provision in the standing orders allowing a member to issue a notice and move a motion even if it is not on the order paper.

But Elachi said the house had already passed the notice of motion stage in the sequence of the order paper.