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Standoff at Nairobi County Assembly as Elachi, Ngwele face off


A standoff is looming at the Nairobi County Assembly following the return to office of Clerk Jacob Ngwele.

The assembly is now under heavy police presence after Speaker Beatrice Elachi made her way into the assembly after getting wind of Ngwele’s return.

LOCKED OUT

The two are set to address parallel press conferences. Currently, only selected TV journalists specifically invited by the Speaker are being allowed access into the assembly with print counterparts locked out.

Moreover, assembly staff who are perceived not to be loyal to the Speaker have been sent out of the assembly with only the ‘loyal’ ones left.

Embattled Nairobi County Assembly Clerk Jacob Ngwele (second left, bottom) takes a selfie with MCAs after returning to his office. PHOTO | COLLINS OMULO
Embattled Nairobi County Assembly Clerk Jacob Ngwele (second left, bottom) takes a selfie with MCAs after returning to his office. PHOTO | COLLINS OMULO

“The Speaker came immediately she was told Ngwele was at the assembly. We have been told to leave our offices and if we don’t then we will have to go for forced quarantine,” said one of the staff, who sought anonymity for fear of victimisation.

Mr Ngwele made a return to the assembly in the morning after being unsuccessful in other attempts before.

BACK IN OFFICE

He was accompanied by some MCAs from both ODM and Jubilee who ushered him to his office.

He said he is back on the strength of court orders issued by the Employment and Labour Relations Court and a letter from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

Police officers who have been deployed at the Nairobi County Assembly following a standoff between Speaker Beatrice Elachi and Clerk Jacob Ngwele over the latter's return to office. PHOTO | COLLINS OMULO
Police officers who have been deployed at the Nairobi County Assembly following a standoff between Speaker Beatrice Elachi and Clerk Jacob Ngwele over the latter’s return to office. PHOTO | COLLINS OMULO

The clerk has been out of office since the return of Elachi last year October when he was kicked out of office.

“I am finally back to office. I have been blocked before despite the court and EACC making it clear that I am the assembly’s substantive clerk. There were instructions given to the assembly sergeants to block me from getting into the assembly,” said Mr Ngwele.

IMPEACHMENT

Early this month, the EACC affirmed that Mr Ngwele was legally appointed as the assembly’s clerk after investigations by the commission.

Last week, the Central Bank of Kenya also acknowledged his position as the clerk in its letter to Elachi who had tried to remove him from being a signatory to the assembly’s accounts at CBK.

Police officers who have been deployed at the Nairobi County Assembly following a standoff between Speaker Beatrice Elachi and Clerk Jacob Ngwele over the latter's return to office. PHOTO | COLLINS OMULO
Police officers who have been deployed at the Nairobi County Assembly following a standoff between Speaker Beatrice Elachi and Clerk Jacob Ngwele over the latter’s return to office. PHOTO | COLLINS OMULO

Ms Elachi and Mr Ngwele do not see eye-to-eye with the two involved in protracted war that began after a fallout in early 2018.

However, the feud resurfaced once again following Elachi’s return to office in October last year after more than a year out following her impeachment in September, 2018.