Nairobi Jubilee MCAs to meet with Uhuru Saturday

All Nairobi Jubilee ward representatives have been summoned to State House.

The MCAs will Saturday meet with President Uhuru Kenyatta just days before an impeachment motion against the Governor Mike Sonko is set to be tabled.

A communication by Majority Whip June Ndegwa to the MCAs read: "Good afternoon Hon members. Kindly be advised that we have a meeting tomorrow (Saturday) at State House at 9am. I request that we be seated by 8.45am."

Earlier this week, Sonko handed over key functions of the Nairobi County government to the State after a meeting with President Kenyatta.

From next month, seven out of 10 departments at City Hall will be under the national government.

Sources told the Nation that during the Tuesday meeting, the President ruled out a by-election in the capital over lack of funds following advise from the Treasury. 

According to a source who sought anonymity, the Saturday meeting seeks to forge a common front to fight the impeachment motion which is being spearheaded by the opposition.

And now the meeting, according to a source is to have a common ground over the Tuesday impeachment motion that is being spearheaded by the opposition.

Governor Sonko had been given until Monday to present his written response on the allegations raised against him in the notice of impeachment.

Nairobi County is hanging in a precarious position as removal of Governor Sonko from office would necessitate a by-election after 60 days of Speaker Beatrice Elachi assuming the position of acting Governor as per Article 182 of the Constitution.

The county has had no deputy that would take over, in a similar way as it was in Kiambu County, since Polycarp Igathe resigned in January, 2018.

Moreover, Governor Sonko's nominee to the position, Disaster Management Chief Officer Anne Mwenda is yet to be vetted by the assembly and so cannot assume the position in case of his ouster.

On Wednesday, Minority Whip Peter Imwatok, who is spearheading the censure motion, has maintained that the impeachment plans are still on.

“We must unanimously resolve on Tuesday to send him to the Senate to now take care of the baggage. The plane has landed and there is no going back," said Mr Imwatok.

His Minority Leader David Mberia echoed his sentiments saying: “We will continue with the impeachment unless we are stopped but nobody can stop reggae.”

Last week, 55 MCAs appended their signatures to impeach the governor.

Out of the 122 Nairobi County Assembly MCAs, 66 are from the Jubilee party while the opposition has 56.

For the impeachment to sail through, at least 82 MCAs, two-thirds majority, have to support it meaning that the opposition needs support from 26 Jubilee ward representatives.

But this is not far-fetched as the majority party has had internal wrangles since Mr Sonko fell out with former Majority Leader Abdi Guyo last year.

This saw the party's leadership at the Assembly replaced. Mr Guyo lost his position to Dandora 3 MCA Charles Thuo.

Mr Guyo enjoys huge influence among the Jubilee MCAs, and his ouster left the party deeply divided.