Beatrice Elachi: Why her political position can’t be ignored in future of Nairobi politics

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi is seeking to have the Supreme Court rule that she can assume gubernatorial roles after Governor Mike Sonko was barred from accessing his office in a corruption case.

Speaker Elachi moved to the Supreme Court with an application seeking a constitutional interpretation on whether, in law, she can be allowed to assume the duties of the governor.

The Supreme Court directed that the case be heard on 5 March, urging both parties to file and serve their papers.

In December 2019, Sonko sought court orders barring Elachi from taking over as the county boss in the absence of the embattled flamboyant governor.

High-octane politics

Nairobi County has not had a deputy since January 2018 when Polycarp Igathe resigned.

So this is poised to be a interesting battle of legal minds in the corridors of justice but the obvious inference here is there is high-octane politics at play here.

Yes, there are obvious legal issues surrounding the interpretation of Article 182 (5) of the Constitution which provides that in the event of the vacancy of a governor and deputy, an election shall be held within 60 days after the Speaker assumes office.

The need for interpretation of the law in view of the fact that in Sonko’s case, the Speaker’s ascension will not be out of vacancy but inability to act caused by a court process; yet it is the politics of power at City Hall that motivates the whole scheme.

The narrative out there is that Sonko, out of fear of being impeached due to his perceived political fall-out with the powers that be, has deliberately ignored calls to appoint a deputy but his ‘ouster’ has forced him to; although so far contentious, seen him nominate Anne Kananu Mwenda as his deputy.

The nominee is currently a Chief Officer in Sonko’s government but the question remains whether or not she would be approved by the Elachi-led County Assembly.

Does Elachi have any support outside County Assembly?

The former Member of Parliament, once a victim of the wrath of the MCAs, who acrimoniously ejected her from office, forcing to fight back through the courts is a skilled political schemer if how she has turned the tide in her favour since her return is anything to go by.

She has not only managed to settle back into her position despite the hostility she once faced but also turned the numbers to her favour in impressive fashion that it now looks apparent that she could even successfully muster Sonko’s impeachment.

This turn-around and how she has asserted herself on the political space cannot be ignored or dismissed.

With Sonko seemingly having lost the favour of his political godfathers that pushed for his election in 2017, Elachi has capitalized on that to sway support to her camp and has further earned serious clout by her association with the Kieleweke camp of the ruling Jubilee Party.

She also has the backing of the bipartisan women outfit backing the handshake by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, a move that has guaranteed her the front row seat in the Building Bridges Initiative campaigns and the high table of Nairobi politics.

The plot has thickened going by how Sonko has crafted his survival strategy, firstly by his seeking of support from Odinga by backing the BBI, which he was initially perceived to be agains. Elachi had already occupied a enviable position as far as this is concerned so Sonko has a fight in his hands to get ahead of her.

Nominated MP, Maina Kamanda, the self-proclaimed master of Nairobi politics and a veteran politician has no kind words for Sonko, whom he has dismissed as the biggest mistake Jubilee made for Nairobi politics is a strong ally of Elachi’s.

Senator Johnson Sakaja, rumoured to be eyeing the governorship in 2022, is also against Sonko.

Are there any other ambitious politicians to contend with?

Although Sakaja’s ambition may ultimately play out in the event of a by-election being precipitated or in the 2022 equation, it is believed that he would be open to Elachi taking over City Hall, with the possibility of them playing the gender card in the future to be on the same ticket.

It is a complex power play matrix but for the moment it is the speaker who has the upper hand and is ahead on the chessboard that is Nairobi politics.

Elachi has positioned herself as a critical piece of the game and whether or not she assumes the role of office of the governor, she will definitely have a huge say on who becomes the next governor of Nairobi County and should she hold the position in acting capacity; she is likely to etch her name in history books and another feather on her political crown.