Nairobi Speaker Lifts Lid on Bribing Scheme Before Elections

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Ken Ng'ondi.jpg
Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Ken Ng'ondi.
Kennedy Ng'ondi

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Kennedy Ng'ondi exposed what he claimed was a scheme by Kenya Kwanza to bribe Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) to rig him out.

Speaking on Sunday, October 2, Ng'ondi alleged that while on a retreat with Azimio-affiliate MCAs in Maanzoni, he was notified that a group of people had been sent to buy out some of the ward representatives.

The speaker moved that the individuals were sent by a powerful Cabinet Secretary nominee and targetted a specific niche of elected and nominated MCAs. Among the goodies offered were top positions in the ministries.

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Ken Ng'ondi (centre) during a church service in Embakasi on Sunday, October 2, 2022..jpg
Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Ken Ng'ondi (centre) during a church service in Embakasi on Sunday, October 2, 2022.
Ken Ng'ondi

"One of the MCAs was asked to resign so that he can be appointed as a Principal Secretary in one of the Ministries. He was asked to go and sign his resignation letter which had already been drafted," Ng'ondi declared.

The Nairobi Speaker accused the 'messengers' sent by the government of offering cash incentives running into millions. All this is said to have happened on the eve of the election at 11:30 p.m.

"MCAs were told that they would be given Ksh10 million each while the leader who mobilised them would pocket Ksh20 million which would be paid instantly," he narrated.

He claimed that this was a blatant attempt to buy democracy. However, the Azimio brigade rejected the incentives and kept their allegiance to party leader Raila Odinga.

Amid claims that he would be the pawn used to frustrate Governor Johnson Sakaja, the Speaker clarified that he would only perform his constitutional duty. He added that his election united the house instead of dividing it.

“Governor Sakaja was elected by the people of Nairobi. So, we must support him, we don’t have to bring in issues that will hinder service delivery to the Nairobi people,” Ng'ondi responded.

Ng'ondi was declared speaker after the second round of the election. He garnered 68 votes against his opponent, Hassan Robow's 55 votes.

Fronted by the Raila Odinga-led Azimio coalition, he secured a win in the first round but the 71 votes cast in his favour were 10 short of the two-thirds requirement which clerk  Edward Gichana capped at 81.

The Nairobi Speaker race was a high-stake contest with President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza seeking to affirm its dominance over Azimio in the capital. However, Ruto's team was dealt a blow after their candidate, Benson Mutura was disqualified from the race.

Inside the Nairobi County Assembly chambers.
Inside the Nairobi County Assembly chambers.
Capital Group