The bitter wars at the Nairobi City County Assembly are not far from over.
Hot News has reliably been informed that the battle to control shs 592 million shillings allocated for development is still on.
An MCA who spoke to Hot News on condition of anonymity said that the main reason why Speaker Beatrice Elachi was ejected by MCAs and former Clerk Jacob Ngwele bundled out is because of the supremacy battles on who will have the final say on how the money will be spend.
While approving Governor Sonkos proposed revised budget estimates in December 2018, City MCAs Okayed governor Sonko to spend at least shs 33.3 billion in 2018-2019 financial year.
They also approved their own budget of shs 1,386,671,700 for recurrent expenditure which includes salaries.
The MCAs then gave an ok for the County Assembly to spend shs 592 million on development.
Another MCA said, “The amount set aside by the Assembly for development is colossal and it means the Assembly wants to undertake some serious capital projects,”
“They want to put up an Administration block at the parking lot adjacent to the Supreme Court. The County Assembly Service Board proposed that to the budget comitee and MCAs passed the budget,” said the City rep.
The parking lot adjacent to the Supreme court is used by MCAs.
It’s owned by the Nairobi City County assembly and a City surveyor told Hot News it’s approximately more than an acre.
Another rep who sits in the budget committee said the Assembly wants to put UP the multi- million administration block which will also have an underground parking lot.
“It is this colossal amount of money that has brought bad blood and fights at the Assembly. Nothing else. Everybody wants to have a say on how the money will be spend,” said another rep.
In September 2018, City MCAs impeached speaker Beatrice Elachi.
The ward representatives accused her of abusing her office, gross misconduct and conflict of interest.
However, Elachi defended herself and blamed politics and corruption at City Hall for her removal.
She said her impeachment was unlawful as it did not follow the laid down rules and she was not given a fair hearing.
She appealed and was reinstated back to office by the court but MCAs forcefully ejected her out of City Hall.
In June 2018, Majority Leader Abdi Guyo announced the Nairobi County Assembly Service Board had decided to suspend Ngwele and Speaker Beatrice Elachi to allow a probe into graft claims.
Elachi and Ngwele were feuding over tenders in the county assembly, with each accusing the other of impropriety over multi-million shilling contracts.
The proposed construction of the Administration block has been cited as one of the lucrative tenders that were to be dished out.
However, Ngwele blamed Elachi for his wars and accused her of inviting the DCI to City Hall.
Ngwele will know his fate on Tuesday when a magistrate’s court will rule if him (Ngwele) and his five colleagues are to be put on trial or acquitted over graft claims.
The court postponed the ruling last week to Tuesday 12 after Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku fell ill.
This was the second time the ruling is being postponed.
It was set to be delivered last week.
Ngwele, his deputy Adah Awour, colleagues PhilomenaNzuki (principal accountant), James Kariuki (senior procurement officer), Fredrick Mwangi (senior finance and planning officer) and Raphael Maluki (proprietor of Primara Ventures) were arrested in August last year and charged with corruption.
The prosecution alleged that they colluded and stole at least shs I million through a tender for supply of books.