Senate begins hearing on Governor Sonko’s impeachment
A team from the Nairobi County Assembly has Wednesday morning arrived at the Senate with pomp and colour as Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko’s impeachment trial begins.
The assembly entourage, led by Minority Leader Michael Ogada, the mover of the impeachment motion, has a team of five lawyers.
Mr Ndegwa Njiru, the lawyer who gained fame when he represented Kirinyaga County Assembly during the hearing of the impeachment against Governor Anne Waiguru in the Senate in June, will lead the assembly’s legal team.
Other members of the team include Majority Whip Paul Kados, Minority Whip Peter Imwatok and his deputy Moses Ogeto.
Governor Sonko also arrived at the Senate together with his team. He is facing four charges for his removal as governor. The charges include gross violation of the Constitution and other laws, abuse of office, commission of crimes under the national laws and lacking the mental capability to run the county government.
During Wednesday’s sitting, the session will start with a communication from Speaker Ken Lusaka regarding the impeachment trial.
Charges
All the four charges and the particulars levelled against Sonko will be read out during the open session.
Then, four hours will be given for the county assembly to present its case through its legal team.
On Thursday, the governor and his team will also be given time to respond to the allegations.
Thereafter, there will be closing remarks before the senators go into a deliberation session in camera before they vote on the impeachment.
The Senate has 67 senators but the law requires only 47 elected ones — now 46 following the death of Machakos Senator Kabaka — to vote. There could also be voting by delegation as was in the case of former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu.
Sonko will need 24 votes on his side to survive his removal from office, failure to which he will join Mr Waititu as the second governor to lose his seat.
