MCAs, Elachi to meet over Sonko leadership crisis
City Hall, Nairobi County headquarters. The Tuesday meeting will see all 122 City MCAs as well as Speaker Beatrice Elachi in attendance. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The meeting comes against the backdrop of impeachment calls against Governor Mike Sonko by ODM MCAs.
Nairobi Members of County Assembly (MCAs) will on Tuesday hold a Kamukunji ahead of a Special Sitting of the Assembly set for Thursday.
The meeting, which is detailed in a letter to both Jubilee and ODM parties by Speaker Beatrice Elachi, comes against the backdrop of impeachment calls against Governor Mike Sonko by ODM MCAs.
The Kamukunji, set to take place at the Assembly precincts, will see all 122 MCAs as well as Ms Elachi for the first time get down to deliberate the current crisis facing City Hall since Sonko was barred from office last month.
ODM MCAs calling for Sonko's impeachment argued that being barred from accessing his office rendered him unable to carry out the critical roles of a governor.
On their part, Ms Elachi and a section of Jubilee MCAs have always maintained a hard-line stance on any Special Sitting saying they are waiting for advisory opinion from the Attorney General and the Supreme Court.
However, the stand seems to have softened with the Speaker confirming that she will gazette the Special Sitting to take place on January 9, 2019 at 2:30 pm.
“The Speaker to the Nairobi County Assembly wishes to notify you that there will be a kamukunji of all members of the County Assembly on Tuesday January 7, at 10:00 am in the Assembly chambers," she said in the letter to Majority Leader Charles Thuo and Minority Leader David Mberia.
“This therefore is to notify you of the same and ask that you notify honourable members from your respective parties to attend this important meeting. The agenda will be shared at the meeting,” added Ms Elachi.
The letter dated January 3 is also copied to Majority Whip June Ndegwa and her Minority counterpart Peter Imwatok.
Mr Thuo confirmed receiving the letter, adding that all Jubilee MCAs will be part of the meeting.
The MCAs have been divided since Governor Sonko was barred from office with ODM members saying the devolved unit is in crisis while a section of their Jubilee counterparts expressed a differing opinion.
