A Nairobi court on Monday stopped debating of impeachment motion against embattled Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko.
Sonko had filed an application at the High Court seeking orders to stop the County Assembly from debating impeachment motion against him, saying the process is a sham.
The court directed that the impeachment be halted until due process is followed. Debating of the motion had been scheduled for tomorrow, March 3.
In his ruling, Justice Byrum Ongaya directed that the motion shall not proceed until it’s filed in compliance with the Standing Orders of the County Assembly.
“The proposed motion by the MCA for the proposed impeachment as scheduled for Tuesday shall not proceed until due compliance of the standing order number 67 is complied with,” ruled the judge.
Read: Sonko Impeachment To Be Called Off After MCAs Hold Meeting With Uhuru
Sonko’s legal team led by Harrison Kinyanjui told the court the county clerk had admitted that he is yet to receive the motion adding that the signatures have not been verified.
The impeachment motion was tabled on February 20, 2020, by Makongeni Ward representative Peter Imwatok.
The order comes just days after Sonko, who is facing graft charges, transferred a number of county functions to the National government at State House Nairobi.
President Uhuru Kenyatta later urged the ward representatives to spare Sonko and withdraw the censure motion. 122 out of 115 MCAs attended the meeting.
Imwatok wants the county boss impeached on grounds of gross violation of the Constitution and Public Finance Act 2012, inability to control and manage public debts and clear pending expenses.
Read Also: Sonko Defends Decision To Hand Over County Functions
Sonko is also accused of exhibiting incompetence and inability to offer leadership and willingly failing to name a Deputy Governor with an ulterior motive of holding the county at ransom.
The MCA further accused the governor of misappropriation of county funds through the irregular award of tenders.
According to Imwatok, the cost of some tenders was inflated with irregular payment of suppliers among others.
Sonko, who is out on Ksh15 million bail, was in December barred from accessing his office after he was charged with 19 counts for allegedly misappropriating Ksh357 million from county coffers.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com or WhatsApp +254707482874. You can also find us on Telegram through www.t.me/kahawatungu
Email your news TIPS to Editor@kahawatungu.com or WhatsApp +254707482874