This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed the County Government (Amendment) Bill 2017 into law, effectively forcing Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko to name a deputy.
The bill, sponsored by Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, compels governors to nominate a deputy within 14 days of a vacancy and forward the name to the county assembly for vetting.
The county assembly will either approve or reject the nominee within 60 days.
With this move, President Kenyatta has cornered Governor Sonko, who has been operating without a deputy since the resignation of Polycarp Igathe in 2018.
On January 30, 2018, Mr. Igathe resigned as deputy governor, citing a lack of trust from Governor Sonko.
Since then, Governor Sonko has faced challenges in nominating a deputy, with his first nominee, Miguna Miguna, not even making it to the county assembly.
By signing the bill into law on July 9, 2020, President Kenyatta has addressed a gap in the Constitution and the County Government Act of 2012, which did not envisage a vacancy upon the death, impeachment, or resignation of deputy governors.
