Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Benson Mutura is set to be sworn in as the caretaker governor of the Nairobi city county, hours after former county boss Mike Sonko was impeached by the Senate.
According to the Constitution, if a governor is impeached and there is no deputy governor to take over, the Speaker of the county assembly shall be sworn-in and be in charge of the county for 60 days after which a by-election shall be conducted to elect a new governor.
If Sonko does contest the impeachment, Mutura will be in charge of the county till mid-February when a by-election will be conducted.
Following the ouster, Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka published a Gazette notice on Sonko’s removal, creating room for Mutura to take over.
“On Thursday, December 17, 2020, the Senate resolved to remove Hon. Mike Mbuvi Sonko, the Governor of Nairobi City County, from office, by impeachment,” the gazette notice read in part.
Read More
During the impeachment hearing, 27 senators voted in favor of the motion, 16 rejected it, while two senators abstained.
Sonko now becomes the second governor to be impeached following ex-Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu who was shown the door a few months ago.
Security has reportedly been beefed in the CBD and around City Hall in readiness for any demonstrations that may occur as a result of the governor’s impeachment.
