Sonko’s Job Hangs In the Balance As MCAs Table Impeachment Motion
Nairobi County Governor Mike Sonko’s job is in the balance after an impeachment motion was tabled against him on Thursday afternoon.
The censure motion was tabled by Makongeni Ward representative Peter Imwatok.
A section of the ward representatives attempted to disrupt the process forcing speaker Beatrice Elachi to kick out one MCA.
“This will not be a house of shouting. It will be a house where we use the rule of law,” the speaker said as she requested members to let Imwatok finish reading his motion.
“There will be no point of order as he issues a point of order,” she said.
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: How Sonko Attempted To Scuttle Planned Impeachment By Nairobi MCAs
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.
Read Also: EACC To Hide Identity Of Some Witnesses In Sonko Graft Case
Even as a section of MCAs vow to support the impeachment motion, there are claims that some have been compromised.
The governor is said to have hosted over 50 MCAs at his private office in Upper Hill yesterday in an attempt to cause a quorum hitch hence frustrate the process that was expected to kick-off yesterday.
The meeting lasted for several hours as the ward reps were only allowed to leave after it was confirmed that no censure motion had been tabled before the house.
“He was trying to make sure the assembly had no quorum for the notice of motion of impeachment to be introduced. We were only allowed to leave after House business had begun and after he confirmed no motion had been tabled against him,” a source told the Standard.
Read Also: Blow To Sonko As Court Suspends Vetting Of Deputy Governor Nominee Anne Mwenda
During the meeting, one of the MCA, who attended the meeting at Upper Hill, intimated to Nation that Sonko begged them not to support the motion.
“He called us some minutes to 8 am for a meeting. This was meant to frustrate the House’s quorum,” the MCA said.
A source also intimated to the Standard that the members were promised Ksh40,000 to shelve the impeachment plan.
Read Also: Governor Sonko Given Alternative Seat After Being Blocked From VIP Dais
Sonko’s plan worked as only 10 Jubilee MCAs were reportedly present in the assembly. The county assembly needs 41 out of the 122 members to transact any business.
Earlier, a letter emerged allegedly from ODM Nairobi Branch chairman and Makadara MP George Aladwa, warning ODM MCAs not to support the impeachment motion. Aladwa claimed that the instructions were from the party leader Raila Odinga.
But the letter was dismissed by ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, who stated that the party will not “interfere with the power granted directly by the people”.
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