Sonko impeachment gathers steam as MCAs move motion
Nairobi members of county assembly are set to table a motion to impeach Governor Mike Sonko, for reasons including holding the county at ransom with the lack of a deputy governor.
Minority Whip and Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok, who moved the motion on Thursday, also cited gross violation of the Constitution, incompetency and an inability to lead.
The MCAs further accused Sonko of being unable to control Nairobi's debts and clear pending bills, gross misconduct and bringing the office of the governor to disrepute.
DEPUTY MATTER
The county has lacked a deputy governor since Polycarp Igathe resigned in January 2018, saying he had failed to earn the governor's trust.
Sonko eventually nominated Anne Kananu Mwenda and she was cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission but her vetting is pending.
Some MCAs called for Sonko's arrest over the nomination, noting he had been barred from office and so may have violated terms of his release from police custody over a Sh357 million corruption case.
Soon after Sonko nominated Ms Mwenda, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) wrote to Speaker Beatrice Elachi asking for the original letter of nomination.
The commission sought to establish the procedure used to nominate Ms Mwenda, who has been serving as the Disaster Management Chief Officer.
GRAFT CASE
Sonko was barred from office last December for investigations into loss of the Sh357 million.
He and several others face 19 charges of corruption, abuse of office and irregular payments that saw the county lose that amount of money. They have all denied the charges.
The governor was released on a cash bail of Sh15 million.
PLOT
Amid the troubles his county is facing, Sonko has made moves to scuttle plans for this removal from office.
He has reached out to all Jubilee Party ward representatives to stop the process spearheaded by members in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
On Thursday morning, he called the MCAs to a meeting at his Upper Hill private office to forestall any plans to oust him.
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