Nairobi County Speaker Ng’ondi Presides Over Empty House

All the 123 MCAs from the majority Azimio Coalition and Minority Kenya Kwanza Alliance skipped the Wednesday afternoon plenary sitting.
Our Members were busy preaching peace out there – Leader of Minority Anthony Kiragu.

A plenary sitting of the Nairobi City County Assembly aborted on Wednesday after all MCAs from Azimio Coalition and Kenya Kwanza Alliance failed to show up.

All the 123 Members of County Assembly from the majority Azimio Coalition and Minority Kenya Kwanza Alliance skipped the Wednesday afternoon plenary sitting causing adjournment.

The Wednesday 19th July, 2023 occurrence in the Plenary Chambers is unprecedented in the history of the House since the First Assembly in 2013.

House Speaker Ken Ng’ondi presided over the ’empty session’ guided by provisions of the Standing Orders, with Mr Sammy Kiplimo, the County Assembly Director of Legislative Services sitting as Clerk of the plenary session.

Standing Order No. 37(1) of Nairobi City County Assembly provides that a quorum at commencement of the County Assembly or of a Committee of the Whole County Assembly shall be a third of its Members.

The lack of quorum occured as anti government protests called by the opposition Azimio Coalition were experienced in various parts of the Nairobi and many other counties across the country.

***Nairobi City County Assembly Speaker Ken Ng’ondi presiding over a plenary sitting on 18th July, 2023***

Speaker Ng’ondi ordered the bell to be rung for 10 minutes but there were no Members. Under the prevailing situation, the Speaker adjourned the Assembly forthwith to the next sitting under Standing Order No. 37(2).

In an interview with The Times later in the day, the Leader of Minority Anthony Kiragu said Kenyan Kwanza MCAs did not skip the plenary session. Instead, he said they were out in the city streets on a “peace mission”.

“Our Members did not skip the plenary session. They were busy preaching peace in the streets and they have done a commendable job”, the Waithaka Ward representative said.