Led by Majority Leader Charles Thuo, the members said corrupt staff shouldn’t take advantage of the Speaker’s sentiments to make a comeback/CFM – Jemimah Mueni
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 9 – Over 70 Members County Assembly (MCA) in Nairobi have opposed the return of county government officials facing graft charges before they are cleared in court.
The MCAs made the declaration on Wednesday after Nairobi Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi announced Tuesday that all suspended staff will be allowed to resume their respective duties.
Led by Majority Leader Charles Thuo, the members said corrupt staff shouldn’t take advantage of the Speaker’s sentiments to make a comeback.
“Anyone who has been mentioned in corruption must face the law for them to go back to work. We are telling the County Public Service Board that they must be very careful if anyone comes to them saying that Speaker told them to return to work despite being corrupt, they must not listen to them because we are going to deal with them,” said Thuo.
He said it was unacceptable to allow back some staff especially from the lands and planning department which is accused of being notorious for corruption.
Imara Daima MCA Kennedy Obuya also echoed Thuo’s sentiments saying the Assembly will not allow any corrupt county staff to return to City Hall.
“We will not allow anyone who was send away on corruption basis, they will not sit in any office at City Hall and if they try, we will go physically and eject them from those offices,” said Obuya.
Elachi made the announcement on the return of suspended county staff following an informal meeting with all the MCAs to discuss leadership crisis in the county.
She said after deliberations the lawmakers had agreed to have the suspended staffs who are still on full pay to return to work within two weeks.
Some of the suspended staff includes Health County Executive Committee (CEC) Member Mohamed Dagane and his Finance counterpart Charles Kerich.
The two were suspended by Sonko last year September after Precious Talent School collapsed, alongside 14 other county staff.
“It is not usual labor practice to suspend staff through Whatsapp forum and still maintain them on full pay. Over 100 key county government staff of the County of Nairobi on suspension are hereby instructed to return to work and perform their important duty of serving mwanainchi who are taxpayers,” stated Elachi on Tuesday after a four- hour long Kamukunji with members.
The Nairobi County Assembly was set to convene for a gazetted special sitting on Thursday to discuss the leadership crisis in Nairobi occasioned by a court directive barring Governor Mike Sonko who is facing a graft case from accessing his office.
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