• Last month, 123 MCAs were sworn into office after the gazettement of the first sitting by Governor Johnson Sakaja.
• UDA party has 35 elected MCAs, ODM also has 35, Jubilee (six), Wiper (four), Chama Cha Kazi one. Three are independents.
Image: WILFRED NYANGARESI
Expect a showdown in the Nairobi County Assembly as both Kenya Kwanza and Azimio claim majority status.
Each has 35 seats.
Both sides, therefore, are claiming the right to nominate the the Majority leader and Majority Whip slots.
Both the United Democratic Alliance party and Azimio la Umoja have revealed their assembly leadership, both claiming to have the numbers.
Azimio named Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok as Majority leader, to be deputised by Laini Saba MCA John Musila.
Kilimani MCA Moses Ogeto would serve as the Majority Whip, deputised by Upper Savannah MCA Elijah Stazo.
UDA named Waithaka MCA Antony Kirangu as the Majority leader, deputised by South B MCA Waithera Chege.
It named Umoja One MCA Mark Mugambi as Majority Whip and Nominated MCA Joyce Muthoni as his deputy.
The contest will now shift to the game of numbers at the assembly.
Last month, 123 MCAs were sworn into office after the gazettement of the first sitting by Governor Johnson Sakaja.
The house is meant to have 124 MCAs but elections are yet to be held for Utawala ward.
Out of the 123, 85 are elected members while 39 are nominated.
UDA has 35 elected MCAs as does ODM. Jubilee has six, Wiper four, CCK one and three are independents.
President William Ruto's UDA party and Raila Odinga's ODM each have 17 nominated MCAs.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee has three nominated MCAs and Wiper has two.
In total, ODM and UDA have 52 MCAs each, Jubilee has nine Wiper has six and CCK has one MCA.
The Registrar of Political Parties has been given the task of determining the majority and minority coalition parties for the assembly.
In a letter addressed to Ann Njeri, the acting Registrar of Political Parties (RPP), Ngara MCA Chege Mwaura wants the speaker to determine five key issues as the house starts plenary sittings next week.
Chege wants the RPP to determine which party is the majority in adherence to the Political Parties Act.
“I hereby wish to request your urgent intervention and help in determining the following: the definition of a coalition of parties and a coalition party,” he letter dated October 4 read.
The UDA legislator also wants the Registrar to determine the actual position of Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance Coalition Party as well as its affiliates ODM, Jubilee and Wiper parties.
The RPP has also been tasked to determine the position of the Kenya Kwanza Coalition of parties.
Also, the MCA wants to know if the dissolution of Chama Cha Kazi (CCK) changes the strength in the Nairobi County assembly.
Following his Cabinet nomination last month, nominee for Trade and Industry Moses Kuria officially started the process of merging his CCKwith UDA.
The letter on this matter was copied to county assembly Speaker Ken Ng’ondi and UDA Secretary General Veronica Maina.
(Edited by V. Graham)