EXPLAINER: How MCAs will vote for Speaker
All eyes will be at the Nairobi County Assembly as they move in to vote their third speaker following the resignation of Beatrice Elachi .
However, the voting will be conducted virtually, with only the house leadership present in the chambers.
The Standing orders announced by Deputy Speaker John Kamangu will be applied in the virtual sitting.
SECRET BALLOT
As highlighted in the Nairobi City County Assembly Standing Order 7, the election of the Speaker shall be by secret ballot.
The chairperson of committee who is also the Deputy Speaker shall preside over the elections.
The Clerk shall issue not more than one ballot paper to each MCA who wishes to vote before proceeding to a designated area provided by the Clerk for voting.
If a member makes an error in the ballot paper, he is allowed to return it to the Clerk and obtain another in its place. The Clerk shall immediately cancel and destroy the paper returned.
The Clerk shall make arrangements to enable any member with disability to vote.
After the vote by MCAs , the clerk will proceed and unlock the box to examine the ballot papers.
WITHDRAWAL
A candidate may withdraw their names through a clerk before a ballot is started. In the event of such withdrawal, the Clerk shall cross out the name of that candidate from the ballot papers.
The person shall not be elected as Speaker, unless supported in a ballot by the votes of two-thirds of all members, in this case 81 MCAs.
If no candidate is supported by the two- third votes ,the candidate who received the highest number of votes in the ballot shall be elected Speaker.
Immediately the results are declared, all the ballot papers used in the election of a Speaker shall be packed and sealed in the presence of the County Assembly and kept in the custody of the Clerk for a period of six months and shall thereafter be destroyed.
But despite the provisions, if there is a candidate who has been nominated for election as Speaker at the expiry of the nomination period, they shall be declared to have been elected Speaker without any ballot or vote.
Following the election of the Speaker, the Clerk shall immediately administer the Oath or Affirmation of Office to the Speaker in the presence of the assembled County Assembly.
The role of the Speaker is to preside over debates of the county assembly at every sittings, maintain assembly attendance register and orders, relevant statute and assembly traditions, procedures and practices.
Besides being the spokesperson of the assembly, the Speaker ensures the dignity of the assembly is upheld , discipline MCAs for misconduct and administer the oath of affirmation or allegiance to members .
On July 20, then Speaker Beatrice Elachi announced that the decision of the county assembly plenary sittings to go virtual was arrived at during a special meeting of the County Assembly Board on how to implement Covid-19 guidelines.
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