Sonko to Raila: Help end city’s leadership row
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has asked opposition leader Raila Odinga to step in and help resolve the current leadership row in the county.
Additionally, Sonko has pleaded with Chief Justice David Maraga and the senate to also help resolve the issues.
Sonko, who is not seeing eye to eye with Nairobi Metropolitan Services boss Mohammed Badi, claimed the current crisis and division being witnessed in the county has been created by some dark forces in the System who are doing divide and rule tactics so that they have a complete take over of the county through the back door,
“My humble appeal now goes to the Honourable Chief Justice, the Senate and Hon Raila Odinga as great defenders of devolution in this country, we need your urgent intervention and rich wisdom in this crisis, before the county cripples down and is taken away by selfish individuals,” he said.
Humble appeal
In a statement to newsrooms, Sonko came to the defence of the MCA’s saying none of them attends the assembly sitting while armed as alleged by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.
“There is no MCA who goes to the assembly while armed and to date, no MCA has been disarmed.
With all due respect can CS Matiang’i share the names of the 14 MCAs he is alleging to have disarmed.
If you are very keen you will notice this is just to divert attention from Hon Mutheu.
There are clear guidelines on how firearms are handled within the assembly precincts under strict supervision by the sergeant at arms,” he added.
His sentiments came on the day Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party threatened to institute disciplinary action against it wards reps who took part in the chaos that rocked the assembly last week.
Through a letter by the party’s’ National Chairman John Mbadi, the party has summoned 12 MCAs to appear before the party’s disciplinary organ next week Tuesday.
Those summoned include Wilson Ochola, Maurice Gari, David Mbithi, Cecilia Ayot, Caroline Mayunzu, Hafsa Khalif, Jared Okode, Redson Otieno, Nicholas Okumu, Millicent Okatch, David Okello and Hajj Nimo.
“By this letter, you are hereby summoned to appear before the party’s disciplinary organ sitting on Tuesday, August 11, 200 at 9 am to show why disciplinary action should not be taken against you with regard to your violation of the Party Constitution, Code of Conduct, regulations and the law,” reads the letter dated August 4, 2020.
Ongoing wrangles
According to Mbadi, the decision comes after the party’s Minority Whip in the assembly Peter Imwatok on July 24, 2020, wrote a letter of complaint concerning the MCAs.
“We are in recipient of a complaint from the Office of the Minority Chief Whip dated 24, July 2020 on your conduct in the recruitment of the Clerk to the Nairobi City County Assembly” reads the letter.
The Suba South MP said the party had directed the minority leadership to ensure the process was done in keeping with the ideas of fairness, justice and meritocracy.
According to him, failure by the MCAs to appear next week will attract appropriate actions.
But in what could deepen the ongoing wrangles, a letter from the Makadara MP George Aladwa who is the chairman ODM Nairobi County resurfaced directing all the summoned MCAs not to attend the meeting until the party at branch levels has exhausted the matter beyond reproach.
“The dispute at the assembly to my knowledge revolves around interests and it is wrong for some individuals to keep misusing and dragging the name of our party leader.
I therefore direct all summoned members to disregard the letter by Mbadi,” read the letter by Aladwa.
But speaking to People Daily on phone, Imwatok dismissed the letter by Aladwa saying all members who have been summoned will be appearing before the party.
“ We will follow the orders by Mbadi, he’s our national chair. Aladwa is being used by Sonko allies to bring confusion to our party.
It is not his prerogative to order us what to do. We will attend as we have been summoned,” said Imwatok.
Ngwele escorts
The party has been at loggerheads with the assembly members with the last summonses issued on July 27, 2020.
The party wrote to a section of the legislators, following the return of Jacob Ngwele to occupy the office of the assembly clerk, where some of the MCAs mentioned escorted him to the office.
Ngwele had made a comeback to the assembly on July 23, 2020, escorted by both Jubilee and ODM MCAs.
