- Kananu will now be sworn in as substantive governor, taking over from impeached Sonko
- Thirdaway Alliance vows to move to court to challenge what it terms blatant disregard and mutilation the Constitution
Image: COURTESY
It is end of the road for a number of hopefuls who had expressed interest in the Nairobi governor by-election after the record vetting and swearing-in of Anne Kananu as deputy governor.
MCAs on Friday vetted and approved Kananu whose nomination by Mike Sonko last year had been subject of a protracted legal battle until last week when the petition was withdrawn.
Kananu will now be sworn in as substantive governor, taking over from impeached Sonko and thus stopping the by-election that had been scheduled for next month.
Kananu, a criminology graduate, served as Disaster Management chief officer in Sonko's administration and goes into history as the first woman deputy governor of Nairobi county.
Last Tuesday, the Star exclusively reported a possibility of Nairobi not going into the February 18 by-election.
Friday's events now stop what would have been a gruelling political duel in the capital city.
It had been already billed as a supremacy contest between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga on one side against Deputy President William Ruto.
Jubilee had cleared BBI secretariat co-chair Dennis Waweru, Agnes Kagure, Betty Adhiambo, Alex Kipchirchir and Habib Omar to participate in its primaries.
Lawyer Miguna Miguna and former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru had also been nominated by Thirdway Alliance and UDA respectively to contest.
Also in the race were former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, Ogwang Raymond Ndungu, Kiigi Jasiel Njau, Kimore Evans Machoka, Lengala David William, Hassan Jimal Ibrahim, Dr Noah Winja Migudo, Otieno Aloys Lavern, Mukundi Mathenge, Munyanya Yassin, Olingo Timothy Ayieko and Njuru Phyllis Wangari.
They had been gazetted as independent candidates.
On Friday, constitutional lawyer Waikwa Wanyoike described the turn of events as a serious constitutional coup.
"Let it be on record that what Nairobi County Assembly has done in vetting and approving Anne Kananu as DG and obviously making her governor – with the urging of Uhuru and Raila – is a constitutional coup," he said.
Thirdaway Alliance vowed to move to court to challenge what it termed blatant disregard and mutilation the Constitution.
National chairman Miruru Waweru, in a statement to newsrooms, said the approval and swearing-in of Kananu was unconstitutional and would set a bad precedent if allowed to stand.
“If there is any doubt in this country that we are speedily sinking into a dangerous pit of dictatorship and blatant disregard for the Constitution, today’s events at the Nairobi City County Assembly, and the illegal manoeuvres by a section of the political class to undermine the sovereign will of the people are your clearest answers,” he said.
“Once again, as we have done and are actively engaged, this chipping-off of our constitutional foundation will find its equal challenge in our courts and all public platforms; this is a duty we hold dear and which we cherish discharging.”
After being sworn in as the substantive governor, Kananu will then be expected to appoint her deputy – a position that multiple sources told the Star will go to ODM in the spirit of handshake.
ODM had initially withdrawn from the by-election and declared it will back Jubilee’s candidate.
The Raila-led ODM is said to have lined up several candidates to deputise the Jubilee candidate for the seat.
Some of the names being mentioned include secretary general Edwin Sifuna and Women’s league president Beth Syengo
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya