Governor Sonko’s removal officially begins

Efforts to remove embattled Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko from office commenced yesterday when MCAs tabled a notice of motion to impeach him.

The motion was approved by the speaker.

Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok tabled the notice of motion citing over 10 grounds. The session was attended by over 85 MCAs.

The grounds for impeachment include unilateral sacking of staff through social media without due process, violation of the Constitution by failing to name a deputy governor despite an advisory by the Supreme Court and abuse of office.

Imwatok also cited irregular procurement including the Sh1.5 billion tender for construction of stadia, inability to constitute a working cabinet with almost all CECs working in acting capacity and skewed award of contracts to road developers in the estates.

Other grounds are irregular award of a Sh1.7 billion contract to AAR Insurance company, Sh18.5 million city beautification with no tangible results and incompetence evidenced by the county’s inability to collect garbage.

Imwatok, the minority chief whip, also listed failure to put in place a proper revenue collection system leading to loss of revenue and irregular issuance of title deeds to Eastland residents who were asked Sh30, 000 processing fee but the documents are not ready.

Sonko is accused of behaving in a manner not fitting the status of a governor by practices such as drinking alcohol in office.

Imwatok said Sonko had brought the office of the governor into disrepute by breaking the social contract between him and the people by hurling abusive words at them whenever he is criticised.

The MCA accused the governor of unaccounted for cash withdraws, lack of building approvals for over seven months, pending bills running into billions, irregular payment of legal fees to contracted firms, incessant traffic congestion and lack of street lights leading to insecurity in the CBD.

As expected , a short drama was witnessed on the floor when MCAs supporting Sonko shouted back at Imwatok as he started reading out the grounds for impeachment.

Roysambu MCA Peter Warutere stormed out of the chambers and speaker Beatrice Elachi ordered him to keep off the assembly for a week .

According to Standing Orders, before giving a notice of a motion, a member shall deliver to the clerk a signed copy of it stating the grounds for impeachment.

The notice of motion must be verified by at least a third of all the members of the assembly.

Each of them signs a verification form provided by the clerk, which the clerk submits with the proposed motion to the speaker for approval.

The MCA who has obtained approval of the speaker to move the motion shall give a seven-day notice calling for impeachment of the governor.

Within that time the governor will be expected to appear and give reasons to the house why he should not be impeached .

Upon the expiry of the seven days, the motion shall be placed on the Order Paper and be disposed of within three days.

Within the seven days notice, the clerk shall prepare a list of MCAs supporting the motion with their signatures. Any signature appended cannot be withdrawn.

If the motion is passed by two-thirds of all members of the county assembly, the speaker shall inform the Speaker of the Senate of that resolution within two days.

Dandora Two MCA Silas Matara argued that the clerk of the county assembly needed to verify the signatures as required by the law.

He said Jacob Ngwele who was reinstated by the court was still the substantive clerk and that Monica Muthami was acting.

However, speaker Elachi reminded the members that the house revoked Ngwele’s name on the floor after the house formed an ad hoc committee to look into his appointment.

“You are all aware that Ngwele is also wanted by a Dubai court over payments. You want to bring a wanted person into a house of law and procedures?” she posed.