Nairobi Speaker Sworn in as Acting Governor After Sonko Ouster

Benson Mutura, Speaker of the Nairobi County Assembly, was on Monday, December 21 sworn in as the acting Governor of Nairobi County.

The move is in line with the law following the impeachment of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko in the Senate on December 18.

The Constitution further states that a by-election will be held by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) within 60 days of the Speaker taking over.

Sonko was impeached over allegations of corruption, gross violation of the law, mismanagement and abuse of office.

Mutura was supposed to be sworn in on Friday, December 18 but the ceremony was hurriedly called off.

The Assumption of Office Committee explained that the Judge had arrived late making it impossible to comply with a Constitutional requirement for the Governor to be sworn between 10 am and 2 pm.

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“The Speaker, together with the Assumption of Office committee, decided to postpone the swearing-in ceremony to a later date.

“This is because the judge mandated to administer the oath got to the Assembly a minute past 2pm,” revealed MCA Peter Imwatok.

Political lobbying to replace Sonko has already kicked into high gear, with key figures angling to take over.

Among them is Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Secretariat Co-Chair Dennis Waweru, a former Gubernatorial aspirant who has publicly expressed his interest in the seat.

Other names linked with a potential run include former Deputy Governor Polycarp Igathe and former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth.

Sources indicate that Jubilee and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) are cobbling up a coalition to field a single candidate in the spirit of the ‘handshake’.

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