Nairobi Speaker Ken Ng'ondi says the county plans not only to spend Ksh30 million on the mace but also a safe and a holding room.
Ng'ondi, on Thursday, countered reports that alleged that the money will only carter for the mace, insisting that the funds were spread on the other accompanying items.
"The one we are just about to procure also includes the safe and even a procure room, so it's just not a mace," he stated.
"It is out of understanding and thorough research that it was established that is the minimum we could go as a county. We can't have anything less than that," Ng'ondi stated.
Ng'ondi justified that safeguarding the mace would also symbolise the Assembly's authority. However, he argued that he was not in charge of the procurement and tender department and that questions on the matter should be forwarded to relevant authorities.
In the county assembly's defence, the speaker claimed that the money spent was based on the market prices as other counties such as Nakuru purchased its mace at Ksh24 million.
While advertising the tender on its site, Nairobi County specified that the head, neck, crest, shaft, and tail of the mace ought to be 18-carat gold-plated.
Its shaft must have a total of six pieces of brass and silver plates and the separation be done with seven solid brass rings.
The mace's weight must range from 10kg to 10.5kg, with a height of approximately 1.2 meters. However, as per the annual Development Plan 2023-2024, the mace was budgeted at Ksh Sh30 million.
Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly, Robert Alai, was among local leaders who condemned the speaker and the assembly for planning to purchase the mace at Ksh30 million despite the county facing other pressing issues.
"It’s wrong for the Nairobi City County Assembly to buy a new mace as if that’s the most urgent thing. There are many things which should be spent on. A mace shouldn’t be a priority," Alai said.
"There is something called priority spending which our current speaker doesn’t understand. He now behaves like the governor’s youth winger," he added.
