Search for new Nairobi County Assembly Speaker begins following Elachi’s exit
The search for the next Nairobi County Assembly speaker has kicked off following the resignation of Beatrice Elachi on Tuesday.
This comes after acting Clerk Pauline Akuku advertised a vacancy in the office of the Speaker inviting interested and qualified persons to apply for the position.
The election of a new speaker is set for Friday, August 14, 2020 at the County Assembly Plenary Chamber as from 2:30pm.
“Accordingly, the office of the Clerk invites interested persons, who qualify to be elected for the position of the Speaker of the County Assembly to download the nomination forms from the Nairobi City County Assembly website,” the notice reads in part.
Interested persons must be registered voters with post-secondary school qualification as well as satisfying moral and ethical requirements prescribed in the Constitution, especially Article 193, and must also meet qualifications prescribed by Sections 22 and 25 of Elections Act, 2011.
QUALIFICATIONS
They must also not be Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) pursuant to Article 178(1) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 – read together with Section 7 of the County Governments (Amendment) Act, 2020, Section 25 of the Elections Act, 2011 and the Nairobi City County Assembly Standing Orders – which provides that each County Assembly shall have a Speaker elected from among persons who are not MCAs.
The acting clerk also made it clear that a person who is a State officer or other public officer, has at any time within the five years immediately before the date of election, or held office as a member of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is automatically disqualified in accordance with the Article 193 of the Constitution.
Same as one who has not been a citizen of Kenya for at least the 10 years immediately preceding the date of election, is of unsound mind, is an undischarged bankrupt or is serving a sentence of imprisonment of at least six months, has been found, in accordance with any law, to have misused or abused a State office or public office or to have contravened Chapter Six of the Constitution.
SPECIAL SITTING
As part of the applications, those interested in filling the vacant position will be required to submit duly filed and signed nomination forms as well as a copy of their Curriculum Vitae (CV).
“The aforementioned documents are to be hand-delivered to the Office of the Clerk of the Assembly, in a sealed envelope, so as to reach her at least 48 hours before the day of the sitting of the Assembly pursuant to Standing Order 6 (2) of the Nairobi City County Assembly Standing Orders,” the notice reads.
The assembly, which is currently on recess after adjournment last month by Ms Elachi until September 8, 2020 after chaos at the assembly, will now have to call for a special sitting for the election of the speaker.