Speaker Beatrice Elachi is poised to be the first female Nairobi governor, albeit on an acting capacity for 60 days, following DPP Noordin Haji’s order for the arrest of county boss Mike Sonko.
DPP Haji said he has enough evidence to warrant the prosecution of Governor Sonko and other senior City Hall officials following a review of the investigation file handed to the DPP by the EACC.
Other than Sonko, the DPP ordered the arrest and charging of county secretary Peter Mbugua, members of the county tender committee Patrick Mwangangi, Samuel Ndung’u, Edwin Kariuki, Lawrence Mwangi, Preston Miriti among others.
The governor and his staff face charges of conspiracy to commit economic crimes, willful failure to comply with the law and conflict of interest.
Speaker Elachi only resumed office in October after 13 months, following her impeachment last year, which the court overturned.
Nairobi Speaker Beatrice Elachi/ COURTESY
In May 2019, the Employment and Labour Relations Court reinstated Elachi and barred MCAs from impeaching her again.
Jubilee Party’s national leadership to have a truce that endorsed Elachi’s return to office.
The crisis meeting, which was held at Jubilee Party headquarters and chaired by the party secretary-general Raphael Tuju also resolved to reinstate the ousted Leader of Majority Abdi Guyo, who had fallen out with Sonko as well.
“On the Speaker position, even those of alternative views should respect the court orders and the party position hence Elachi remains as the Speaker until otherwise,” Tuju said.
This is seen as to have cleared the way to proceed with Sonko’s arrest, who was under investigation over graft in garbage collection tenders.
And without a Deputy Governor following the resignation of Polycarp Igathe, Elachi, as the speaker, falls next in order.
Lee Makwiny, a political analyst, notes that when Elachi resumed, she was being protected by a contingent of police officers, thus a government project. “The government had started fixing Nairobi,” he says.
