Governor Sonko signs over County to National Government
Governor Sonko has handed over key county functions of the county to the National Government. This has been deemed as an attempt by the Government to salvage the capital county’s affairs amidst its leadership wrangles. This agreement is in accordance with Article 187 of the constitution.According to the Article, a function or power of Government can be transferred to a higher level of government, in this case, the National Government.
Although there have been other measures considered to remedy the situation including an election or impeachment, handing functions over was the most amicable solution. Some of the functions handed over include county health services, transport services, county public works, utilities and ancillary services.
What it means for Nairobi county
By handing over key functions of the county to the National Government, Governor Sonko ensured Nairobi will relinquish certain privileges. These include surrendering the revenue generated by the relinquished dockets and foregoing the allocated share of the national revenue. In addition, the county will be run by the national government with President Uhuru as the authorized signatory. Therefore, all County Executive Committee members will no longer perform their original roles. This, however, does not mean they have been fired. The CEC members will be retained but transferred to other departments.
Sonko’s impeachment
Governor Sonko is embroiled in a 357 million graft case which resulted in his arrest. As a result, Sonko has been ordered to stay away from City Hall by Chief Magistrate Ogoti. Despite being ordered to stay away from office, there has been no one available to officially take over as there is no deputy. The power vacuum has thus led to the stalling of various activities. This has prompted members of the County Assembly to file an impeachment motion which would permanently remove Sonko from power. Although the impeachment motion has been put on the back burner for now, Governor Sonko will still have to defend himself.
With this agreement in place, the government believes Nairobi residents will receive services efficiently. “This will ensure Nairobi residents receive services efficiently. A breakthrough in the running of county services that had ground to a halt,” said Ms Kanze Dena, the State House spokesperson.
