Elachi directs suspended key county staff to resume work
By George Kebaso, January 8, 2020Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi yesterday moved to stamp her authority at City Hall as questions lingered over the legal status of embattled Governor Mike Sonko’s nomination of a deputy.
The Speaker, who resumed office last November after 13 months in the cold, instructed the County Public Service Board (CPSB) to fast-track the return of suspended staff, including County Executive Committee members.
She made the announcement after a five-hour closed-door meeting with the Members of the County Assembly.
“We have agreed that all staff from the county government who were suspended and are on full pay to return to their offices to work except for those with court cases.
It is not usual labour practice to suspend staff using WhatsApp and still maintain them on full pay.
“Over 100 key staff of the County Government of Nairobi on suspension are hereby instructed to return to work and perform their duty of serving mwananchi, who is the taxpayer,” Elachi said at Charter Hall.
Take stand
“The County Public Service Board is hereby instructed to process all these cases and ensure the staff report to work within two weeks,” she added.
The Speaker made the announcements even as talk of Sonko’s possible ouster intensified.
Sonko, who has been barred from his office over corruption charges, on Monday nominated Anne Kananu Mwenda as his deputy and sent her name for discussion and approval by the County Assembly.
On Monday, MCAs especially those from the ODM wing called for the impeachment of the governor, vowing to make it a major agenda when the Assembly sittings resume on February 15.
Leader of Minority Peter Imwatok was clear mobilisation of MCAs is going on to raise the required numbers to take a stand on impeaching the governor.
“We are expecting us, the Opposition, and like-minded leaders to come together to give the way forward for the county.
Before the close of the (last) year we called for a special sitting. Therefore, we want the Speaker to advise us on the way forward,” he told People Daily on telephone.
However, the Speaker was categorical the impeachment of a governor is anchored in law, and in the event there’s such a move, it would follow the strictures laid out in the Constitution.
“Before the issue of the deputy governor comes to the Assembly, it has to go to the party which will then write to us; if indeed first of all the Governor is in line to appoint at this time,” she added.
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Allen Gichuhi said nothing barred Sonko from appointing his deputy.
“After all the court did not say he has been removed as governor,” he said.
Lawyer Oliver Kipchumba said the embattled governor acted within the law since he had not been removed from office.
He cited Justice Mumbi Ngugi’s ruling (that state officers facing graft charges be barred form accessing office).
“One would be tempted to think that the governor is not supposed to perform his functions from his office,” he said.