Court stops impeachment motion against Governor Sonko

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko. [ File, Standard]

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has heaved a sigh of relief after a court suspended his impeachment motion.

Justice Nzioki Makau has ruled that MCAs should not proceed with kicking the Nairobi governor out of office pending hearing and determination of a case filed by the governor.

Makau prohibited the MCAs from deliberating, tabling for debate, putting a vote on the motion to oust Sonko.

Nairobi MCAs last week tabled a notice of motion for Sonko's ouster. They listed four key grounds for the removal of the governor: a gross violation of the law; committing a crime under the national and international laws; and lacking the capability to run the county.

But yesterday, the attempt to oust Sonko took a new twist after 82 ward reps denied appending signing in favour of his removal.

The motion was lodged by the Minority Leader Michael Ogada.

This second bid to oust the flamboyant governor comes barely a year after he battled another impeachment motion.

Last year, ODM MCAs led by then Minority Leader David Mberia made known their intentions to impeach Sonko after he was barred from office following a Sh357 million graft case by the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji.

An impeachment motion was tabled in the County Assembly by Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok in January this year.

He listed 16 grounds for Sonko’s ouster, among them abuse of office and irregular procurement of services, inability to constitute a working cabinet with almost all CECs working in acting capacities and skewed awarding of contracts to road contractors in estates.

The notice of motion was supported by 65 out of 122 MCAs, largely drawn from ODM and a select few from Jubilee Party.

But Sonko got a reprieve on March 2, 2020, when the High Court stopped his impeachment as the judge ruled there was a failure to adhere to due process.