City Hall: Nairobi MCAs Skip Assembly Sessions, Gallivant At Lounge As House Businesses Stall

• Nairobi residents may need to call to order several Members of County Assembly they voted to represent them
• This is after a section of MCAs failed to show up to a plenary session on August, Tuesday 8, to the chagrin of the County Assembly Speaker
• Another MCA blasted a section of his counterparts for scrambling for committee sessions because they come with allowances but deliberately abscond plenary sessions

Nairobi Members of County Assembly (MCAs) have been put on the spot over continual absconding of the House businesses due to flimsy or no reasons at all.

How many MCAs are in Nairobi county?

The behaviour of a section of the MCAs has irked Speaker Ken Ng'ondi, who said it was unfair for the legislators not to show up when needed, yet they were earning to represent the needs of their voters.

On Tuesday, August 8, TUKO.co.ke established that Nairobi's legislative house witnessed a low attendance of MCAs prompting the Speaker to adjourn the day's business.

The Speaker was stunned to know that some of the MCAs were at the Assembly lounge chilling and chatting the afternoon away, cautioning them against abdicating their responsibilities.

Out of the expected 123 MCAs, it was established that only 20 showed up for the afternoon session.

Nairobi MCAs on the spot

"The people voted them to legislate, it is very strange that some MCAs are not executing their core mandate. It is irresponsible for members to skip sessions without valid reasons," he told TUKO.co.ke.

The Speaker was appalled that some members continued to relax in the lounge as Sergeant At Arms (SAA) rang the bell to notify them of the commencement of the day's business in vain.

Korogocho MCA Absalom Odhiambo echoed Ng'ondi's sentiments, claiming that some of his counterparts were skipping plenary sessions intentionally, yet they could not miss committee sittings because the latter had allowances.

"It's wrong for members to skip sessions yet they are inside the Assembly premises. They are the same people who never miss committee sittings because they know they will be able to sign for allowances," said Odhiambo.

Quorum of County Assemblies in Kenya

Part VIII Quorum of the County Assembly guides on when quorum or no quorum is achieved in the legislative house.

The guidelines captured under Quorum at the Commencement of the County Assembly 37 (1) state that a quorum of the County Assembly or a Committee of the whole County Assembly shall be a third of its members.

"If there is not a quorum present when the Chairs is taken, at the time appointed for a meeting of the County Assembly, immediately after the saying of the prayer, the Speaker shall order the bell to be rung for 10 minutes," it continues.

Skipping sessions is a contravention of the provisions of Standing Order 242 of the County Assembly.

The standing order states that if a member is absent from eight sittings of the Assembly, during any session, without permission in writing from the Speaker, the Speaker shall report the matter to the Assembly.

Such a matter shall then be referred to the committee of privilege for hearing and determination.

The Assembly was also put on the spot after an MCA was captured on camera sleeping during plenary sessions.