Members of the Nairobi County Assembly have allocated Sh35 million for the construction of the speaker's official residence.
This was revealed through the County Fiscal Strategy Paper (CFSP) approved by the house.
According to CFSP allocated funds will be used to buy land and build the official residence of the speaker. The new residence will be used by the speaker of the incoming county government.
“The following matrix provides for the county assembly priorities; to acquire land and construct an official residence for the honourable speaker at a cost of Ksh35 million,” states the document in part.
In 2018, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) scrapped the payment of rent for speakers.SRC instead directed that counties either buy or build houses for their leaders.
As a result, the Members of the Nairobi County Assembly initially floated the idea of building a house for the county speaker.
Currently, county assembly Speakers are entitled to a Ksh150,000 house allowance.
The county assembly allocated Sh150 million for the purchase of the Speaker's residence in the 2017/18 financial year. The house will have five bedrooms, a swimming pool, lawn, and parking space.
The property was also to be located in the designated United Nations Blue Zones-Karen, High Ridge, Kitusuru, Lang'ata, Muthangari, Spring Valley, Muthaiga, Loresho, Lower Kabete, Windsor, and Balozi.
Nonetheless, the plan was not actualized following the fallout between then-Speaker Beatrice Elachi and Clerk Jacob Ngwele.
As a result, the County Assembly Service Board resorted to refurbishing a house in Lavington which was the residence of the former Nairobi Mayor citing budgetary constraints.
The refurbishing of the Ksh157 million Lavington house is yet to begin and is currently under the Nairobi Metropolitan Services.
