The battle for the control of the Nairobi City County Assembly is shaping out to be between Mr Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party and President-elect William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The House is expected to have its first sitting any time next week, and lobbying for top positions has intensified. Governor Johnson Sakaja is expected to gazette the first sitting of the new county assembly not later than September 9, setting the stage for the Speaker’s election.
The House Standing Orders require the governor, through a notice published in The Kenya Gazette and The County Gazette, to set the date and venue of the first sitting of the new county assembly not later than 30 days after the election.
Prior to this, however, a do-or-die battle for the plum Speaker’s post has narrowed down to a fight between incumbent Benson Mutura, who wants to defend his seat, and former Deputy Speaker Ken Ngondi.
The contest is shaping into a game of numbers between UDA and Azimio and the level of lobbying each side is willing to do to tip the scales in its favour.
Nairobi County Assembly has 85 MCAs, but by yesterday, Kwa Njenga and Utawala wards were yet to know their representatives.
Azimio has a slight edge over its political rival with 44 MCAs. Mr Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leads the coalition that is chaired by President Kenyatta with 34 MCAs. Mr Kenyatta’s Jubilee has six while former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Democratic Movement has four.
The Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza Alliance has 36 MCAs in its fold with UDA having 35 ward representatives and Moses Kuria’s Chama Cha Kazi bringing in Mutuini MCA Martin Mbugua. Two MCAs are independents.
Mr Ngondi is the sole candidate for Azimio after other aspirants were prevailed upon to shelve their ambitions and back his bid.
The candidates who stepped down for Mr Ngondi are former Makadara MP Reuben Ndolo, former Gender Chief Administrative Secretary Rachel Shebesh, and Mr Jack Owino.
Others are businessman Obonyo Gworo, ODM’s director of legal affairs Antony Moturi and Mr Harrison Wangoro, who vied for the Embakasi North parliamentary seat on a Jubilee ticket.
Mihang’o MCA and former Majority Whip Paul Kados (Jubilee) said Azimio would push to have the former deputy Speaker elected Speaker.
“We have the numbers at the assembly and I’m sure of victory,” Mr Kados said.
Mr Ngondi has served at City Hall in various capacities having been a councillor, chairman of the Health Committee and deputised former Speaker Alex ole Magelo between 2013 and 2017.
In April, Azimio had earmarked the position for ODM after it fronted a Jubilee candidate for governor, with Wiper providing a running mate.
Reached for comment, Mr Mutura was measured in his response, only saying that he is still the Speaker and will only entertain talks regarding the position once it becomes vacant.
“I’ll make up my mind once the seat is declared vacant,” he said.
On the first sitting, the assembly clerk will table the names of elected members and swear them in while exercising the powers of a Speaker.
Upon the notification of the first sitting, the clerk shall through a notice in The Kenya Gazette and at least two newspapers with wide circulation, notify and invite interested persons in the Speaker’s seat to submit their nomination papers at least 48 hours before the election.
The nomination papers shall be accompanied by the names and signatures of at least 10 members supporting the candidate, among other requirements as contained under Article 193 of the Constitution. MCAs will elect the Speaker by secret ballot, with the clerk overseeing the exercise that will start at 9am.
For one to be elected Speaker, the candidate must garner the support of two-thirds of MCAs. If this fails, then the top two in the first round of voting will proceed to the next round where the candidate with the highest number of votes will be declared winner.
Immediately after the election, the clerk shall swear in the Speaker, who will then notify members of the place, date and time of the county assembly official opening.
