Jubilee Party’s choice of Beatrice Elachi as Nairobi speaker candidate has sent a clear signal the party is determined to control the city’s two arms of government.
The decision followed President Uhuru Kenyatta’s meeting with all of Nairobi’s Jubilee-elected leaders on Saturday where he ordered them to back the outgoing majority chief whip.
The party scooped 45 out of the 85 MCA positions, implying that its candidate will definitely clinch the influential seat. NASA only secured 40 slots.
Owing to their numbers, JP is also set to nominate 24 MCAs to the county assembly while NASA will have 18.
The President also pushed for outgoing minority leader Abdi Guyo’s election as majority leader and that of Ngara MCA Mwaura Chege as majority chief whip.
The Speaker presides over county assembly sittings as the the head of the county government’s legislative arm.
At least 10 people had declared interest in the seat, nine of them inclined towards the ruling party.
Outgoing deputy speaker Ken Ngondi is the only NASA-affiliated politician who had expressed interest in the job.
Former Mukurweini and Makadara MPs Kabando wa Kabando and Ben Mutura and incumbent Alex Magelo are also eying the seat.
