Police teargas Sonko meeting with city MCAs

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko at a Milimani Court during the hearing of a corruption case in October. [File, Collins Kweyu, Standard]

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, who is facing impeachment by the Nairobi County Assembly, was on Monday afternoon briefly held by police in Nairobi.

The governor was meeting MCAs who support him ahead of an impeachment motion against him.

In what seemed like a cat and mouse chase, police had stormed a venue at Office Park on Riverside drive where Sonko had hosted the city reps only to miss him there.

He had earlier planned a press conference at the location but later switched the venue.

Police stormed their new location at 113 Riverside Drive and scuttled the meeting. They lobbed tear gas canisters at the venue to disperse the legislators.

Last week, Nairobi County Assembly initiated the process to impeach Mr Sonko on grounds of gross violation of the law, committing a crime under the national and international laws, and lacking the capability to run the county.

The MCAs had come to support him and reject the signatures appended for the impeachment motion slotted for Thursday, December 3, 2020. 

The motion was set rolling after 86 of 122 MCAs signed in support of the petition. This will be the second time in less than a year that Sonko has faced impeachment.

More to follow