Supremacy battles return to Nairobi County Assembly as 2 UDA leaders face removal

Supremacy battles and leadership wrangles have yet again reared their ugly heads at the Nairobi County Assembly, threatening effective leadership and the prioritisation of key issues affecting the capital city.

The latest issue concerns the minority side, made up of members of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), which has split into two factions, both fighting for leadership roles.

On Tuesday, Speaker Ken Ng'ondi failed to effect changes to minority leadership, citing a failure to follow procedures.

The changes were anticipated last week after UDA's Internal Dispute Resolutions Committee (IDRC) upheld the ouster of current officeholders at the Nairobi County Assembly.

Waithaka MCA Antony Kiragu (minority leader) and Umoja One's Mark Mugambi (minority whip) were to be replaced with South B MCA Waithera Chege and Nominated MCA Joyce Muthoni.

Kiragu and Mugambi had challenged their removal, alleging procedural irregularities and unfair treatment.

Ng'ondi told a plenary session on Tuesday that the provisions of the Constitution, the law, and the Standing Orders were not complied with in the removal of the two leaders whose names were presented to him.

He added that neither evidence nor sufficient notice was given to them, stating the charges levelled against them.

"[There was] no evidence that the leaders responded to the charges levelled against them or failed to respond to the charges preferred against them and there was no evidence that there was actual voting to resolve the removal," he said.

Nairobi Speaker Ken Ng'ondi at the county assembly in this file picture. (Photo: X)

Counter-arguments

According to the committee, however, the removal process was in line with party regulations and Standing Orders.

"The removal of the complainants from their respective leadership positions in the county assembly was procedural," the committee chairperson, Rebecca Tonkei, ruled.

However, Speaker Ng'ondi said that after analysing all documents presented to him, there was no evidence of an actual vote to resolve the removal of the leaders.

He also said the ruling UDA party communicated the changes through the deputy minority leader instead of the minority chief whip.

"The letter informing me to effect changes in the minority party leadership emanates from the office of the deputy minority leader, contrary to provisions of Standing Order 23(9), hence, I am unable to act on the correspondences of UDA and cannot effect the desired changes' in the presented form."

In her response to the speaker, Deputy Minority Leader Waithera Chege said she only reminded him of communication by the deputy whip back in 2023.

"The Standing Orders are very clear - that the office of the whip is the one that is supposed to inform the speaker of the changes and this was done by the deputy whip in October 2023. What I did was only to remind him of the effect of the changes as decided by the IDRC."

Waithera, who is also the South B MCA, accused the speaker of taking sides instead of remaining neutral as required by the law.

She stated that she would soon present a substantive motion to discuss Ng'ondi's character and conduct.

"He is supposed to be the referee of this house but he has already taken sides. He has confirmed that he wants to be a member of the UDA party but we are not welcoming him. He is supposed to be neutral and non-partisan but you have seen what has happened," Waithera said.

MCAs Mark Mugambi (Umoja One) and Antony Kiragu (Waithaka), of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), address the media at City Hall on April 23, 2024. (Photo: Handout)

MCAs respond

The other faction, led by Kiragu and Mugambi, welcomed the speaker's communication, saying no meeting was held to discuss their removal.

Kiragu said their counterparts tried to remove them in an unprocedural fashion, as they were never called to a meeting to discuss the matter.

He said, however, that they would step aside if UDA members felt they were underperforming or misperforming.

"Let them follow the right procedures as set in the Standing Orders, and even if they do that, we will leave office if party members feel we are not the right leaders."

Mugambi said the committee failed to review the matter keenly while referring to the Standing Orders and Constitution

"We thought the party IDRC would take into consideration our points, as the speaker has quoted the Standing Orders and the Constitution, but they did not give a thought to the process. They disregarded it. The Speaker had to pronounce himself within the law," he said.

The two ward representatives said they would continue serving the public, the ruling party and their colleagues to the best of their ability.