A Section of City MCAs led by Majority Leader Charles Thuo have told off Speaker Beatrice Elachi for “usurping Governor Sonko’s powers”.
In a press conference at City Hall, the reps said they were shocked by the statement read on Tuesday by Elachi purporting to direct suspended employees of the Executive to report back to work.
Elachi on Tuesday said the County Assembly will hold a meeting tomorrow (Thursday) and set up an ad-hoc committee to ensure resumption of County services.
She recalled suspended staff on full pay.
Elachi added that MCAs will take a position on the nominated Deputy Governor next month.
“This directive remains null and void and can only have been inspired by the cartels who have been running the show in the various departments. For instance, suspended officers from the Planning Department are under investigations,” Thuo said.
He added that the County has lost more than 100 residents in the last five years arising from the collapsed buildings whose illegal approvals are traced back to City Hall.
Thuo said the latest case was the Precious Talent School tragedy in Ngando, where 8 innocent children lost their lives last year.
“Anybody who defends incompetence can only be viewed as an enemy of the great people of Nairobi and must be condemned in the strongest terms possible. We therefore wish to call upon our colleagues to desist from backdoor attempts to create anarchy in Nairobi, by sticking to our constitutional mandate of Legislation, Representation and Oversight,” Thuo said.
Thuo warned his fellow reps to desist from reckless talk that may cause anxiety.
“Follow in the steps of the Governor and allow the law to take its natural course, without making unwarranted prejudicial pronouncements that add no value to the great people of Nairobi,” he warned.
The reps warned that they will not allow Sonko’s achievements to go down the drain.
They said Sonko is being opposed by cartels that used to loot from City Hall.
“We shall not accept this type of blackmail to intimidate the Governor,” Thuo fumed.
He said that Sonko is simply undergoing a normal, legitimate and legal process, and that no one has capacity to determine his guilt to initiate “illegitimate processes to dictate the functions of the Executive branch of the Nairobi City County government”.
Thuo said there is no administrative or leadership crisis in Nairobi, as Governor Sonko remains the duly elected and legitimate Governor, with enough structures in place as provided for in law to ensure the smooth operations and service delivery by the Nairobi City County government.
“As it stands today, Nairobi has a fully constituted Cabinet, Chief Officers and functional departments. All the county employees have valid contracts that clearly stipulate their mandates and are expected to seamlessly DELIVER SERVICES to the people of Nairobi without any interruption,”
He said MCAs should believe in the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers between the different arms of government.
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