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Members of the Nairobi County Assembly on Thursday evening impeached Speaker Beatrice Elachi. Ms Elachi was ousted after 103 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) voted in favor of her removal, surpassing the two-thirds majority required to impeach a Speaker. Two voted against her removal while the rest abstained.
Before voting for impeachment on Thursday, the Ward Representatives amended the House procedures on the ouster of a Speaker.
The new procedures state that Elachi will not be required to appear before an Ad-hoc committee to defend herself as required by the law. The MCAs argued that allowing her to defend herself before an Ad-hoc team would take time.
With the amendments taking effect immediately, the Assembly wrote to Elachi to appear before the House and defend herself but she was nowhere to be seen.
In the motion tabled by Waithaka MCA Antony Kiragu, the MCAs accused Elachi of gross misconduct, conflict of interest, abuse of office, undermining the authority of the County Assembly Board and failure to show leadership.
"Her actions and omissions have caused embarrassment and brought the office of the speaker into disrepute, this assembly resolves to sanction," Kiragu said.
The MCAs also accuse her of inappropriately spending taxpayers cash on dubious trips to Dallas, Texas in the US.
They said the Speaker lied that she went to the US for a Diaspora Women Network summit but was instead traveling for plastic and knee surgery as evidenced by an insurance claim worth Sh1,000,000 from CIC insurance.
"She procured payment by intimidation, improperly and unprocedurally to have the public fund her deceptive personal travels, evidence of which is readily available online,"the motion read.
More corrupt politicians. Business as usual. Such rotten rot. We should start by building more prisons to house all these conmen and conwomen. They are everywhere you look.