• The Speaker is elected through a secret ballot.
• Speaker earns a gross salary of Sh600,000.
Members of the Nairobi county assembly will on Friday elect a new speaker to replace Beatrice Elachi who resigned Tuesday.
Elachi ended her term as first woman speaker of the capital's assembly, closing a chaotic chapter marred by supremacy battles with suspended clerk Jacob Ngwele and Governor Mike Sonko.
Acting clerk Pauline Akuku announced the vacancy in the office of speaker and asked eligible persons to submit applications to her office.
Per Standing Order 7, the election of the speaker shall be by secret ballot.
Deputy speaker and Ruai MCA John Kamangu is holding the seat temporarily. He is also the chair of the Liaison Committee.
The assembly speaker earns a gross salary of Sh600,000 and Sh2.2 million medical cover (Sh2 million for inpatient and Sh200,000 outpatient).
Besides getting two cars, and a team of security personnel the speaker is also entitled to a house of rental value at Sh150,000 per month. The officeholder's other perks are free utilities, a gardener and a cook.
The holder of the office has to play a tough balancing act while discharging their duties judiciously.
Expected to play a neutral part in accommodating both the majority and minority sides of the house, the speaker can be impeached for failing to serve in the interest of the MCAs.
This is the fate that befell Elachi on September 6, 2018. A total of 102 MCAs voted to send her home.
The speaker is an important part of the county government as she oversees the passing or rejection of the administration's policies. If the governor comes from the majority side, their disgruntlement with the speaker can cause friction in the house.
The house leadership consists of the majority leader, majority whip and their deputies and the minority leader, Minority whip and their deputies.
Last month, the County Assembly Service Board created two deputy clerk positions, one in charge of administration and the other of legislative services.
Akuku is the deputy in charge of administration while the other position is occupied by Adah Onyango.
The occupancy to the office of the clerk will be determined by the courts in October.
The assembly has had only two substantive speakers and one in an acting capacity.
On March 22, 2013, former long-serving councillor Alex ole Magelo was elected as the first Nairobi County Assembly Speaker, garnering 43 votes against Paul Mutungi’s 42.
On September 6, 2017, Elachi was elected the second and first female speaker in Nairobi with 90 out of 122 votes, followed by Ali Abdi with 27 votes, George Wainanina (four) and Karen Nyamu (one).
On September 25, 2018, Ngara ward rep Chege Mwaura was elected acting speaker. He took over following the impeachment of Elachi earlier that month.