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Is there a plot to impeach Sonko?


Elected MCAs in Nairobi County are set for a closed door meeting Saturday morning as speculations on a plot to impeach governor Mike Sonko gathers momentum.

The 85 ward representatives had been called for a meeting convened at the county assembly precincts from 8.30am.

The meeting is believed to be in connection with the current crisis facing the county government which stares at a power vacuum with no deputy governor in place to assume leadership in absence from office of governor Sonko.

“Hon members as agreed  with other members present  at the Windsor all elected members we meet tomorrow at County Assembly at 8:30 am. Kindly u are all requested to attend,” reads in part the WhatsApp communication by Minority Whip and Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok on Friday.

Nairobi County Assembly has 122 ward representatives in total with 85 elected while the rest nominated.

Speculations have been rife concerning a possible impeachment of Sonko since his arrest on Friday last week.

This talk grew more after the City Hall boss was on Wednesday barred from accessing his office by the court throwing the county government into further crisis.

Magistrate Douglas Ogoti barred Sonko from stepping into his office at City Hall unless accompanied by an investigating officer or any other authorised person, but only to pick up his personal belongings.

On Wednesday, the assembly was a divided House after Speaker Beatrice Elachi adjourned the plenary sittings saying the House can resume for a Special Sitting should a need arise much to the chagrin of ODM MCAs who wanted its extension for three more sittings.

The ODM MCAs have maintained there is a crisis at the county government following the ruling while their counterparts from Jubilee held a divergent view.

Majority Leader Charles Thuo said there is no vacuum at the county as operations are going on smoothly since there are structures in place and not a one-man-show and there is no succession plans afoot as Sonko is still the governor.

“There is no vacuum in Nairobi as Sonko is the governor and he remains so. The only duty he cannot do is transfer and firing of staff.”

In her communication, Elachi said she was awaiting an advisory from the Attorney General and the relevant bodies on the matter at hand and how to handle it.

“This situation is unique hence it is important that we wait for the way forward the assembly will proceed for recess as we wait for a special sitting Pursuant to the provision of Standing Order No.30 should the need arise,” said Elachi.

Jubilee MCAs sided with Elachi as the opposition MCAs walked out in protest.

The remaining Jubilee MCAs taunted their counterparts shouting “no impeachment, we had long seen your intentions” as they insisted that there is no power vacuum.

The Jubilee MCAs accused their counterparts of having a hideous plan to bring an impeachment motion against governor Sonko.

But in a hurried presser, the opposition MCAs hit back at their Jubilee counterparts accusing them of always operating on the “fear of the unknown” and turning a blind eye yet there is a crisis in Nairobi with the county lacking a deputy governor, the governor barred from exercising his functions and all county accounts frozen.

“If our party leader orders us to bring an impeachment motion we will do it. We are not afraid. Whatever direction the party will give we will abide by it,” said Minority Leader David Mberia.

A source intimated to Nation that already signatures had started being collected before the same was halted after intervention by ODM’s top leadership who told the ward representatives to halt the process for the time being.