The impeachment attempt against Nairobi County Assembly Planning Committee Chairman Alvin Palapala collapsed on Friday, after the mover of the motion Peter Maina alias Osama failed to appear before the committee to substantiate the allegations against him.
The committee session, chaired by Paul Ndungu MCA for Pumwani Ward on interim basis, came to an abrupt end as Osama MCA for Uthiru ward did not show up.
"When it was time for the mover to prosecute the motion, Hon Peter Maina was conspicuously absent from both the committee room and the Assembly precincts," Ndungu said.
Ndungu directed the Assembly sergeants-at-arms to locate Maina.
"Sergeants, you have three minutes to find Hon Peter Maina and bring him here so that he can proceed and substantiate these allegations before members vote," he instructed.
After receiving confirmation that Maina could not be found, Ndungu declared the impeachment motion dead and invoked Standing Order No. 57, which provides that such a motion cannot be republished on the Order Paper without the approval of the speaker.
"We consider the motion dead because the mover did not show up. I further invoke Standing Order No. 57, which will now require such a motion to receive the Speaker's approval before it can be published again on the Order Paper," Ndungu ruled.
The ruling effectively allows Palapala to retain his position as Chairperson of the Nairobi County Assembly Planning Committee unless a fresh motion is admitted by the Speaker in accordance with the Assembly's Standing Orders.
