Is Sonko Going The Baba Yao Way? Impeachment Motion Tabled

An impeachment motion against the embattled Governor of Nairobi County Mike Mbuvi Sonko was tabled in the Nairobi County Assembly on February 20, 2020.

All eyes have now shifted to Nairobi County Assembly to see if they will pull a move like pulled by their counterparts in Kiambu County that saw Ferdinand Waititu Baba Yao impeached.

Baba Yao’s glory at the helm of Kiambu County as Governor was cut shot and given the final blow after the Senate voted to remove him as Governor, in agreement with the impeachment charges by the Members of the County Assembly.

Minority Whip of the County Assembly of Nairobi and MCA for Makongeni Ward moved the motion, citing among other things violation of the constitution, incompetence, and inability to lead.

Mike Sonko was ordered to stay out of office by the court until the corruption case against him is heard and determined. City Hall has been in a mess given that Sonko had been operating without a Deputy Governor.

On January 6, Governor Sonko, while out of the office on orders of the court, nominated Anne Kananu Mwenda as his deputy although the matter has taken a legal tussle to determine whether the Governor had powers to appoint his deputy with his case still in court.

In the absence of a Governor, the constitution requires the Deputy Governor to take over as Governor in acting capacity or fully in the event the Governor is impeached or dead. In the absence of a Deputy Governor, the constitution requires the Speaker of the County Assembly to take over as Governor.

The current speaker of Nairobi County Assembly is Beatrice Elachi and she seems to be in bad terms with Mike Sonko, leading to Sonko moving to court blocking any attempts of her taking charge of the county.

It is now not clear how the affairs at City Hall are running and who exactly is in charge.

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