Drama, teargas as police disperse Sonko’s press conference – VIDEO
Embattled Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko was temporarily arrested before being released after police stormed a meeting by MCAs allied to him at Riverside in Lavington, Nairobi.
The MCAs drawn from Jubilee and ODM parties, were holding a press briefing over Sonko’s impending impeachment slated for Thursday at a private residence when all hell broke loose.
This is after police officers got wind of the meeting and stormed the press conference armed with teargas canisters, rungus and guns.
Tension escalated when the MCAs appeared to resist an order to vacate the premises as governor Sonko also tried to plead with the officers not to disrupt the meeting.
The situation quickly went south when the officers lobbed teargas canisters leading to those in attendance scampering for safety and disrupting the meeting in the process.
The county boss was arrested in the melee and bundled into one of at least six police land cruiser vehicles waiting outside before later being set free and left to drive off.
Earlier in the briefing, the MCAs, led by nominated MCA Silvia Museiya, said they are not in support of Sonko’s impending ouster accusing their counterparts of “faking” signatures claiming that 86 MCAs had signed the notice of impeachment motion.
Ms Museiya alleged that the purported signatures were collected from a Kamukunji that the MCAs held before the tabling of the notice, saying the bona fide signatures are only 17.
The ward representative, nonetheless, said they will defeat the impeachment bid pointing out that they are fully behind the embattled governor.
“We are here to say that we are fully behind Governor Sonko and Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS). We do not oppose NMS but all we want is respect and the rule of law to apply. We are saying is that the budget was skewed and it should be cured so that Nairobi residents receive services,” she said.
Kayole Central MCA Frederick Okeyo alleged that Sonko was being arm-twisted into appending his signature on a budget that was not passed legally yet the Deed of Transfer was clear that all services will be budgeted for in a transparent manner and in accordance with the existing laws.
On his part, Waithaka MCA Anthony Kiragu claimed the main reason for the censure motion was because of the contentious budget which he said had three versions, with the one brought before the assembly reportedly having no input from Mr Sonko or MCAs.
“We have been intimidated and arm twisted but we will not in any way budge to their demands. If there is going to be an impeachment then we are not part of it. We will not support the impeachment and let them bring it on,” he said.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja condemned Sono’s arrest accusing police of being used politically.
“Arresting Sonko for meeting MCAs in the week of his impending impeachment is nothing short of using the police for politics. Just as happened in the Senate, this must be condemned whether you support the governor or not. Let us not claw back democracy using Covid as an excuse,” Sakaja tweeted.