Elachi vows to challenge court’s decision to stop Sonko’s impeachment
Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi has vowed to challenge reasons given by the court stopping tabling of Governor Mike Sonko’s impeachment motion on Tuesday.
Elachi has criticized the reasons given by the court for halting the process saying that an assembly is an independent institution and its mandate should not be interfered with.
IMPEACHMENT MOTION
On Monday, the Labour and Employment Court said that Mr Sonko’s impeachment motion should not proceed except in strict compliance of the County Assembly Standing Orders 67 and 72.
Standing Order number 67 talks of the procedure for removal of a governor from office through impeachment while Standing Order number 72 talks of the right of the person to be removed from office to be heard before relevant committee of the Assembly.
“After consultation with the House Business Committee, I have suspended the motion until further notice. However, the reasons by the court to have the impeachment motion suspended will not go unchallenged and as the Speaker I will stand firm in defending this institution,” said Ms Elachi.
MOVER OF THE MOTION
At the same time, the mover of the motion had also vowed to proceed with the process once the court had dispensed with the matter next week.
Minority Whip Peter Imwatok said the motion had met all the needed requirements for its debate as well as meeting the signature threshold.
“As the mover of the impeachment motion this does not mean that I have withdrawn it but we shall respect the court order until we get a final direction from the court next week. On Monday if the court gives us a green light then we shall not hesitate to move forward with the impeachment motion,” said Mr Imwatok.