Counties

Search for next Nairobi County Speaker begins

elachi

Ms Beatrice Elachi. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The search for the next Nairobi County Assembly Speaker has kicked off following the resignation of Beatrice Elachi on Tuesday.

This comes after acting clerk Pauline Akuku advertised the vacancy and invited qualified persons to apply for the position ahead of the election on Friday, at the County Assembly Plenary Chamber from 2.30pm.

Interested persons must be registered voters with post-secondary school qualification and must meet moral and ethical requirements prescribed in the Constitution, especially Article 193. They must also meet qualifications prescribed by Sections 22 and 25 of Elections Act, 2011.

The applicants must not be Members of the County Assembly (MCAs).

Applicants are required to submit duly filed and signed nomination forms as well as a copy of their Curriculum Vitae (CV).

“The aforementioned documents are to be hand-delivered to the Office of the Clerk of the Assembly, in a sealed envelope, so as to reach her at least 48 hours before the day of the sitting of the Assembly pursuant to Standing Order 6 (2) of the Nairobi City County Assembly Standing Orders,” read the notice.

The assembly, which is currently on recess after being adjourned last month by Ms Elachi until September 8, 2020 following eruption of chaos, will now have to call for a special sitting for the election of the Speaker.

The nominated candidates are required to have support of at least 10 MCAs.

Upon close of nomination period, the clerk will publicise and make available to all members, a list of qualified candidates and copies of their CVs. Thereafter, the election will be done through secret ballot.

An applicant will be declared the winner after garnering support from two-thirds of MCAs. Nairobi has 122 MCAs, meaning the Speaker will have to be voted in by at least 82 members.

If no candidate attains the threshold, then top two candidates in terms of votes will fight it out in the second round and the candidate who receives the highest number of votes will be declared the winner.

In case of a tie, further ballot will be conducted until the winner emerges. If there is only one candidate who has been duly nominated for election as Speaker at the expiry of the deadline, that candidate will be declared the Speaker without the need of voting.

Immediately following the election of the Speaker, the clerk will administer the Oath or Affirmation of Office in the presence of MCAs in the county assembly.