• Majiwa was nominated by the Orange Democratic Movement under a deal brokered with Jubilee for their support during Benson Mutura's election as speaker.
• Mutura, a former Makadara member of Parliament, replaced Beatrice Elachi in July.
Image: FILE
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
County assembly business resumes on Tuesday after a six-week recess with the top agenda being the election of the deputy speaker.
Ruai ward representative John Kamangu is expected to resign and replaced by his Baba Dogo counterpart Geoffrey Majiwa, a former Nairobi mayor.
Majiwa was nominated by the Orange Democratic Movement under a deal brokered with Jubilee for their support during Benson Mutura's election as speaker after Beatrice Elachi resigned in July.
Minority leader Michael Ogada said the biggest business of the assembly will be the election of the deputy speaker.
“We are supposed to get a new deputy speaker as per the agreement. The position will be filled by an ODM candidate, specifically Hon Geoffrey Majiwa (in the spirit of the Handshake),” Ogada said.
He said ODM and Jubilee leaders had agreed on the candidate.
Mutura, a former Makadara member of Parliament, will after the election decide the composition of the house business committee (HBC), the select committee and the committee on appointments.
Majority leader Abdi Hassan Guyo said the HBC will be the first to be constituted since both sides already have new leadership in place.
“The HBC has to first sit and come up with business to be brought on the floor of the house,” he said.
The HBC is chaired by the speaker. Other members are deputy speaker, Majority and Minority leaders, Majority and Minority whips, and not more than 13 MCAs nominated and approved by the assembly.
This specific committee prepares and, if necessary, adjusts the assembly calendar, monitors and oversees the implementation of the assembly business, and implements standing orders, among other duties.
Mutura will also be expected to constitute a new speaker’s panel after the previous team was disbanded by Elachi earlier this year.
The speaker’s panel consists of MCAs who, in the absence of both the speaker and his deputy, should lead plenary sessions.
According to Guyo, the house proceedings will be held virtual.
“The sittings, for now, will be virtual until the House Business Committee comes up with business for the house. We also have to put in Covid-19 preventative measures to keep all members and assembly staff safe,” he said.
Elachi, who resigned unexpectedly, had in July announced virtual sittings of the plenary to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.
Only the house leadership - Majority and Minority leaders and Majority and Minority whips and their deputies - and the mover of the business were allowed in the chamber.
All other members were required to follow and participate via Zoom under the guidance of the assembly clerk.
Guyo, who is also Matopeni MCA, said the assembly will also look into the pending bills amind claims that SMEs were not factored in the last appropriations bill.
“We are still operating on the vote on account until such a time when the Senate decides on the division of revenue formula. The Budget committee might come up with an appropriations bill in the meantime to have the SMEs payments factored in,” he explained.
Reshuffle in the 22 committees to improve services and house business.
The select committee is chaired by the Majority leader. Its members serve in different committees.
Guyo said all committees will consist of both Majority and Minority members.
“For efficiency, there shall be some re-alignments in all the committees. With the flow of events, we have members who have been moved to other positions. Others had been de-whipped, therefore we have to bring inclusivity in the house.”
The committees are sectoral and select. In the sectoral grouping are Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Environment and Natural Resources, Energy and Information, Communications and Technology, Transport and Public Works, Planning and Housing and Trade, Tourism and Cooperatives.
The others are Water and Sanitation, Culture and Community Services, Justice and Legal Affairs, Labour and Social Welfare, Health Services and Children, Early Childhood Education and Vocational Training.
The select committees are Selection, Appointments, Finance, Budget and Appropriations, Implementation, Delegated County Legislation, Wards Development Fund, PAC, Public Investments, Assembly Business, Liaison, Powers and Privileges, Procedure and Assembly Rules and Loans Management.
- mwaniki fm