City Assembly Speaker Elachi facing impeachment over alleged abuse of office

Nairobi County Speaker Beatrice Elachi during an interview with the Standard at her office. [Elvis Ogina/Standard]

A motion to impeach Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi will soon be tabled at the Nairobi County Assembly over abuse of office and gross misconduct.

Waithaka MCA Antony Kiragu who is the mover, claimed the speaker has presented a conflict of interest and undermined the authority of the County Assembly Service Board.

In his notice of motion to the Speaker, he highlighted that Elachi's actions have caused the assembly "great embarrassment and brought the Office of the Speaker into disrepute, contrary to the gamut of laws on conduct of state officers of her caliber".

"This assembly resolves to sanction and remove Hon. Elachi as holder of the office of speaker of Nairobi County Assembly," read the notice of motion.

According to Kiragu, members of the County assembly were in agreement to oust the speaker and he was seeking to get at least 108 signatures for the motion to be effective.

Sought for comment, Speaker Beatrice Elachi cited an ulterior motive behind her intended impeachment.

She denied claims that she had misused her office and challenged the mca to give any evidence he might have to the DCI for further investigations.

Last week, Elachi invited the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to look into the assembly leadership including the clerk - who is the accounting officer - and two other officers considered persons of interest over a members' car loan scheme.

She was concerned about alleged illegal procurement by the office of the clerk.

According to Ngwele, his troubles began after he refused to approve procurement of the Speaker's house in Karen worth millions.

"I could not approve the procurement of the house because it lacked a lands registry search as per the requirements. There was also conflict of interest because there was evidence to show that a close relative of the Speaker was influencing the tendering of that particular house," Ngwele claimed.