- Through a Gazette notice, the clerk said that anyone interested in the position should pick up nomination papers from his office between September 23 and 26.
- The applicants have been urged to ensure they fill and sign nomination forms and attach a copy of their CV.
Image: MAUREEN KINYANJUI
Following the gazettement of the swearing-in of Nairobi MCAs, the clerk of the county assembly has said Monday is the deadline for application for the speaker’s position.
Through a Gazette notice, clerk Edward Gichana said that anyone interested in the position should pick up nomination papers from his office between September 23 and 26.
The applicants have been urged to ensure they fill and sign nomination forms and attach a copy of their CV.
“The aforementioned documents should be hand-delivered to the office of the clerk of Nairobi City county assembly, City Hall Building, at least 48 hours before the day of the sitting of the assembly pursuant to Standing Order (6) of the Nairobi City county assembly standing orders,” Gichana said.
The elections will be held on Thursday after MCAs have been sworn in office.
There has been intense lobbying in the assembly in a bid to get the numbers that would help either team win the powerful speaker’s post.
Azimio has already fronted former Nairobi county assembly deputy speaker Ken Ngondi for the position while Kenya Kwanza has fronted immediate former speaker Benson Mutura.
The coalition has a slight majority in the assembly comprising 67 MCAs while Kenya Kwanza has 53 MCAs.
Three of the MCAs were elected on independent tickets.
By law, the election of the speaker is supposed to take place immediately after the MCAs are sworn in.
The standing orders also state that there would be only be two items in the order paper on the first sitting — the election of the speaker and swearing-in of members.
“A speaker shall be elected when the county assembly first meets after a general election and before the county assembly proceeds with the dispatch of any other business, except the administration of the oath or affirmation of office to members present,” reads the standing orders.
The speaker's roles are to preside over debates of the county assembly at every sitting and maintain assembly attendance register and orders, relevant statute and assembly traditions, procedures and practices.
Besides being the spokesperson of the assembly, the speaker ensures the dignity of the assembly is upheld and disciplines MCAs for misconduct, among other roles.
AFC Leopards chairman Alex Ole Magelo (deceased) was the first speaker of the Nairobi county assembly in 2013.
He secured 43 votes to beat his opponent Mutunga Mutungi who amassed a vote less in the contest, handing him the role of controlling the assembly.
The law requires a candidate to garner two-thirds majority to be declared the winner on the first round.
A simple majority will suffice in the second round pitting the first and second candidates who get the highest votes in the first election.
Former nominated senator Beatrice Elachi on September 6, 2017, won the speaker’s seat.
Elachi got 90 votes with her closest rival, Ali Abdi, garnering 27 votes, with George Wainaina getting four votes while Karen Nyamu got one vote.
Following her resignation in August 2020, former Makadara MP Benson Mutura was elected as Nairobi’s third speaker after receiving 99 out of 122 votes in the first round.
Six candidates from the seven earlier shortlisted battled it out for the chance to replace Elachi.
This was after former speaker Magelo withdrew from the race to support Mutura, a Jubilee candidate.
Others candidates were former Nairobi deputy speaker Ken Ngondi, former Nairobi Economic Planning chief officer Dr Washington Makodingo, Abdi Ali Abdi, Mike Obonyo Guoro and Allan Chacha Mang’era.
(edited by Amol Awuor)