Embattled Nairobi County Assembly Deputy Speaker Majiwa resigns

The former mayor tendered his resignation on Monday, barely hours after committee members served him with a notice of no confidence in his leadership.

Mr Majiwa has come under attack by other committee members who have accused him of continuously misrepresenting the committee on issues deliberated and agreed upon.

Lifting the lid on the simmering tension within the committee, committee member Elizabeth Nyambura, in a March 8, 2021 letter to Assembly Clerk Edward Gichana, said they had lost confidence in the leadership style of the deputy speaker and wanted a vote taken to chart way forward.

This follows signing of a notice of impeachment motion by the 17 members of the committee to oust the embattled chair.

“The committee members deliberated on issues affecting the committee and the majority of the present members resolved that they had lost confidence in the chairperson for misrepresenting the committee….,” said Ms Nyambura in the letter.

“By a copy of this letter, I am requesting the Clerk to call for a meeting in order to allow the committee to vote on this matter,” she added.

However, trouble began for Mr Majiwa late last year when he refused to hand over the reins of the committee to Nairobi West MCA Maurice Gari.

Mr Gari was to assume the leadership of the committee in August, 2020 after being relieved of his membership at the County Assembly Service Board by ODM and his position taken by nominated MCA Catherine Okoth.

Facing the ignominy of being thrown out, Mr Majiwa quickly announced his resignation, saying that he was leaving the chairmanship post to “concentrate on his deputy speaker’s post”.

“I hereby wish to tender in my resignation as the chairperson of the ICT and Energy committee and pave way for Hon Maurice Gari who was nominated for the chairperson of the same committee,” said Mr Majiwa in a letter addressed to the assembly’s leadership.

The Baba Dogo MCA was sworn in as the deputy speaker in September, 2020 as part of a deal between ODM and Jubilee to share the speaker’s and deputy speaker’s position.

In the deal, ODM was to back Jubilee in its quest to see former Makadara MP Benson Mutura replace Beatrice Elachi and in return, ODM was to nominate its preferred candidate for the deputy’s position.

Mr Majiwa would ascend to the position replacing Ruai MCA John Kamangu who would then be relegated to the chair of chairs committee.

As a consequence of the deal, the former mayor was relinquish his position as the chairperson of the Energy and ICT committee to Mr Gari.

However, he never let go the chairmanship of the committee leading to a heated contest and near court action.

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