COG to challenge ruling barring governors from accessing office

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The council of governors is set to move to court to challenge a ruling barring governors facing graft charges from accessing office.

The ruling was delivered by lady justice Mumbi Ngigi on 24th July 2019 barring embattled Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu from accessing office .

Waititu, his wife and a host of Kiambu county government officials had been charged with various offences relating to the irregular award of tenders worth sh. 588 million.

So far, Moses Lenokulal of Samburu, Ferdinand Waititu of Kiambu and most recently Mike Mbuvi Sonko of Nairobi have been barred from accessing office.

However, speaking on Monday, COG chair who happens to be Kakamega governor Wyclif Oparanya said they want the embattled governors allowed to continue serving their terms till the graft cases against them are heard and determined by a court of law.

“As a matter of common interest, the county governments will urgently move to court over the ruling as has been witnessed in the cases of Kiambu, Samburu and Nairobi counties,” Oparanya said.

Oparanya argued that the rulings have hampered operations in the affected counties.

However, the latest ruling barring the Nairobi governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko from accessing office has thrown the Nairobi county government in limbo bearing in mind the embattled governor has not appointed a deputy since Igathe’s exit.

The Nairobi county assembly has been divided with ODM allied MCAs planning an impeachment motion against the governor while their jubilee counterparts have remained mum over the matter insisting that they are waiting for directions from their party leadership.

Their remarks have also been echoed by the Nairobi county assembly speaker Beatrice Elachi who is constitutionally poised to take over for 60 days.

According to article 182 and sub-article 4 of the constitution, should a vacancy occur in the office of a governor and a deputy governor, the speaker should take over for 60 days pending a by-election.

However in neighboring Kiambu county, an impeachment motion for Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu is currently underway.

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