After a frantic search beset by politics and internal in-fighting, Nairobi County Speaker has inched closer to living large in the official County Speaker’s residence.
Thursday, during a meeting with the County Assembly Budget and Appropriation committee, County Clerk Jacob Ngwele said the Assembly will have a new Speaker’s residence by June.
Gigiri or Lavington
The search has narrowed down to two houses in Lavington and Gigiri. What remains is an inspection of the houses before the final selection.
Both houses are properties of Nairobi county government. The one in Lavington is what was formally the Mayor’s house, while the other is one of four houses owned by the county in Gigiri.
Last steps of acquisition
The County Assembly has already written to a letter to the executive requesting it to surrender either of the houses that will be chosen.
“I will now accompany a quantity surveyor and an architect on Monday next week to go and inspect the available houses before settling on one. It will just be a matter of doing renovations before the end of this financial year, which is in June,” said Mr Ngwele.
The Clerk said that the Assembly has been under pressure to find the Speaker’s residence, with the deadline given by Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) set to expire in June 30, 2019.
Halted procurement process
In the 2017/2018 financial year, the County Assembly budgeted for the purchase of the Speaker’s residence and even advertised for the tender, but wrangles pitting the clerk and then Speaker Beatrice Elachi halted the procurement process.
The assembly had set aside Sh150 million to purchase the Speaker’s mansion which was to be located at designated UN Blue Zones including Karen, Kileleshwa, High Ridge, Kitisuru, Lang’ata, Muthangari, Spring Valley, Muthaiga, Loresho, Lower Kabete, Windsor, and Balozi.