Sonko Impeachment: Senate Speaker Reveals Way Forward

Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko
Former Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko at City Hall 23 September 2019.
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Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka has confirmed that the Senate has settled on a date when the special sitting is expected to convene regarding Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko's impeachment.

According to a report by KTN News on Sunday, December 6, the Speaker disclosed that the sitting was scheduled for Wednesday, December 9.

Lusaka further noted that the meeting was convened to consider Sonko's impeachment motion.

The decision was arrived at after he (the Speaker) confirmed that he had received a notice from the Nairobi County Assembly seeking to impeach the embattled governor.

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Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka at a public function in Nairobi in 2018
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The senate is set to start hearing the charges before voting to uphold or reject the impeachment motion.

Sonko was impeached on Thursday, December 3, after a total of 88 MCAs out of 122 voted to kickt him out of the office.

He was impeached over allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office.

If acquitted, Sonko will resume his duties as Nairobi Governor, but if the decision is upheld, the governor will be deemed to have lost his seat.

Upon losing his seat, the Speaker of Nairobi County Assembly will take over Nairobi leadership for 60 days within which the IEBC has to organise and hold a by-elections for the replacement.

After the impeachment by the Nairobi County Assembly, Treasury CS Ukur Yatani directed Sonko to immediately release funds to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).

Yatani stated that he had created a new legal framework that will allow and guide Sonko to transfer funds to rescue NMS. The agency is cash-starved and employees are yet to receive their salaries. 

The governor had declined to sign the Ksh 37.5 billion county government’s budget which had allocated Ksh 27.1 billion to the NMS. 

The Nairobi County Assembly
The Nairobi County Assembly in session.
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