Nairobi City County Assembly Speaker Ken Ng’ondi has dismissed calls to effect changes of the Minority party leadership at the assembly citing failure to follow the laid procedure that are required by the Standing orders.
While making the communication of the Speaker during the plenary session on yesterday, Tuesday, April, 23, 2024) Ng’ondi said the communication by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party was made by the Deputy Minority leader Waithera Chege instead of the office of the Minority Chief Whip.
“The letter informing me to effect changes in the minority party leadership emantaes from the office of the deputy minority leader contrary to provisions of standing order 23(9) hence I unable to act on the correspondences of UDA party and cannot effect the desired changes’ in the presented form.” Ngondi communicated.
However, the deputy minority leader Waithera Chege differed with the speaker’s communication saying that she only reminded the speaker of the communication that had been made earlier on by the deputy whip in 2023.
“The standing orders are very clear that the office of the Whip is the one that is supposed to inform the speaker the changes and this was done by the deputy whip in October 2023. What I did was only to remind him of effecting the changes as decided by the IDRC.” Waithera stated.
Waithera accused the speaker of taking sides and not being neutral as required by the law.
She stated that she would soon be bringing a substantive motion to discuss the character and conduct of the speaker.
“I want to confirm that very soon I will bring a substantive motion to discuss the character of the speaker. Just the other day you saw the issue with muslims, he has many failures in this assembly and today marks the climax of all that. ” She added.
On the part, the aggrieved leaders, the minority leader and the Minority Chief Whip said the speaker has done them well citing that there was no meeting held to discuss their removal.
According to Kiragu, their counterparts tried to remove them unprocedurally adding that they were never called to the Purpotedly held meeting.
He said that they will step aside and give chance to others leading the minority side in case the UDA members felt they are not doing well.
“Let them follow the right procedures as set in the Standing orders. And even if they do that, we will leave office if the UDA party members feel we are not the right leaders.” Kiragu said.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party’s Internal Dispute Resolutions Mechanism committee (IDRM) had upheld the ouster of current office holders at the Nairobi County Assembly, leading to anticipated leadership changes.
The ruling was delivered in Friday, April 19, 2024, which came after a protracted dispute, saw the committee dismissing a complaint filed by the minority leader Anthony Karanja Kiragu and minority chief whip Mark Mugambi, who are elected members of the Nairobi City County Assembly representing Waithaka Ward and Umoja 1 wards, respectively.
The two MCAs had challenged their removal from leadership positions within the UDA Party, alleging procedural irregularities and unfair treatment.
According to the committee the removal process was conducted in accordance with party regulations and standing orders.
“The removal of the complainants from their respective leadership positions of the County Assembly of Nairobi was procedural.”The committee chairperson, Rebecca Tonkei ruled.
She had affirmed the appointment of Waithera Chege (South B), Deonysias Mwangi (Githurai MCA), Joyce Muthoni, a nominated MCA, and Samora Mwaura (Clay City MCA) to leadership positions within the assembly, citing compliance with standing orders.
Kiragu and Mugambi had the option to appeal to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the UDA Party, as per the party’s constitution but they told The Informer Media Group that they would not do so because the speaker had made the communication in their favour.
