Nairobi News

The planned impeachment of Governor Mike Sonko has caused a rift within Nairobi County Assembly with a section of MCAs saying they will not be party to the ouster process.

The ward representatives, largely drawn from ODM, said they cannot impeach Governor Sonko unless they have been given go-ahead by their respective party leaders.

GREEN LIGHT

Nyayo Highrise MCA Kennedy Oyugi said that impeaching Mr Sonko is a major move that cannot just be done anyhow considering the unique state of the county government which currently lacks a Deputy Governor.

The ODM ward representative said matters impeachment must be deliberated by the party’s top leadership and so far, the party has not pronounced itself on the same.

“We cannot make such a major move if we have not been given the green light by our party leaders. As at now, those calling for the impeachment are a few members who want to settle scores with Sonko and we will not be party to such wars,” said Mr Oyugi.

His assertions were supported by his counterpart from South C, Osman Khalif, who challenged the members saying that they have already collected required signatures to necessitate a censure motion to make the signatures public.

“We are led by our party leaders who are yet to tell us what to do. They should show the public the 82 signatures they are saying they have,” said Mr Khalif.

“If it is impeaching Governor Sonko, we have to get direction from party leadership and organs. We cannot just wake up and say that we have today decided to impeach the governor,” said Nairobi West MCA, Maurice Gari.

Deputy Majority Leader and Ziwani Kariokor MCA, Millicent Mugadi, said Governor Sonko has not approached them, as Jubilee MCAs, to try to prevent any impeachment motion against him but has decided to let the law take its course.

DUBAI TRIP

“People are minting money in the name of ‘we are going to impeach Sonko’. The movers of the motion have benefited from those who want to see Sonko out and they have to do everything to show they are doing something,” said Ms Mugadi.

The plan to impeach Governor Sonko has caused a division at the assembly within both ODM and Jubilee.

A section of ODM MCAs, led by Minority Whip Peter Imwatok, has been on the forefront calling for Sonko’s removal since he was barred from accessing his office on December 11, 2019, giving Speaker Beatrice Elachi seven days to call for a Special Sitting.

But not all ODM MCAs have been keen on the same with some of them joining their Jubilee counterparts in defending Mr Sonko.

In Jubilee, MCAs supporting the new leadership of the party have shown solidarity with the City Hall boss while those allied to the former leadership led by former Majority Leader Abdi Guyo keeping away from such press conferences in support of Governor Sonko.

At the same time, the MCAs have denied there was a planned Dubai trip linked to the ouster of Governor Sonko from office, claiming those are “works of former leadership at the assembly trying to fight back”.

“This is a war by former leadership. We are going to expose them of their dirty dealings at the assembly and the executive,” said Mr Oyugi.

“Their time is over and it is now our time. I have not been approached by anyone from the Executive of any Dubai trip. This is just malicious,” said Mr Khalif.