This archive report was first published on 20 December 2019.
December 20, 2019, marked a significant setback for Nairobi County MCAs seeking to impeach Governor Mike Sonko. Speaker Beatrice Elachi confirmed that she had yet to receive a notice of impeachment motion with valid grounds from ward reps.
Elachi emphasized that she could not call for a special sitting since the letter received was vague and lacked clear objectives. She noted that the grounds for impeachment must be properly written and specific, rather than general.
"I have not received any letter indicating an impeachment motion. The grounds have to be valid and be properly written," Elachi said.
She also highlighted the importance of specificity in the grounds for impeachment, stating that a general statement of the current crisis facing the county was not sufficient. "You cannot state you want to discuss the current crisis facing the county. It has to be specific on what exactly is ailing the county," she said.
Elachi did not rule out the possibility of a censure motion, cautioning the pro-impeachment MCAs to be careful about the grounds they choose. She warned that a censure motion might involve issues already before the courts, which could not be debated in the house.
"We have to be very careful as an institution because if the grounds will touch on issues already in court, we can be easily sued," Elachi said.
