Sonko's Trick to Keep MCAs From Voting in Impeachment Backfires

Nairobi Governor Speaking during a zoom meeting on November 16, 2020.
Nairobi Governor Speaking during a zoom meeting on November 16, 2020.
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Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko took a section of County MCAs to Kwale on Wednesday, December 2, in a bid to counter an impeachment motion scheduled for today.

The county boss had a strategy to ensure more than a third of all Nairobi MCAs were out of Nairobi which would have effectively denied the impeachment the two-thirds majority needed to pass. 

However, the plan appears to be failing after Nairobi County speaker Benson Mutura called for voting to be conducted through a video link so that all MCAs would participate.

Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko rejects the Nairobi City County Appropriation Bill, 2020 on Thursday, October 15.
Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko rejects the Nairobi City County Appropriation Bill, 2020 on Thursday, October 15.
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Shortly after, MCAs allied to the governor rushed to the Kwale Police Station to report that their accounts on the video link platform had been hacked.

"The area police officers have taken the MCAs statements and are waiting for further action," Nairobi County Director of Communications Jakob Elkanah told Kenyans.co.ke.

On his part, the governor lamented that there were some Assembly officials who wanted to interfere with the process.

"This morning over 70 Nairobi City County Assembly MCAs have filed a complaint with police on impersonation of their emails by rogue Assembly officials who want to interfere with online voting of the impeachment motion which is set for debate this afternoon," reads Sonko's statement.

Heavy police presence was witnessed at the Nairobi County Assembly on Thursday, ahead of the impeachment motion expected to take place at 2:20 pm.

The impeachment motion was moved by minority leader Michael Ogada who wants Sonko ejected based on four charges including gross violation of the Constitution or any other law (Violation of the County Government Act 2012, Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2015 ),  Public Finance Management Act , 2012 and Constitution) grounds abuse of office and graft.

However, the delay in signing the budget is reported as the main reason why MCAs were urged by their political parties to impeach the city boss.

Sonko has remained vigilant saying that he will not append his signature to the Ksh37.5 billion budget that will see the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) access county funds for the functions transferred to it. 

"I'm ready to go home as I said before there's life after politics. My father was not a politician," the governor wrote on Twitter.

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President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) speaks with NMS General Mohamed Badi (centre) and Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko (left) at an event in Nairobi in August 2020
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