With a stroke of the pen, President Uhuru Kenyatta has cornered Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko who has for a long time been an isolated man, operating without a Deputy since the resignation of Polycarp Igathe in 2018.
By signing the County Government (Amendment) Bill 2017 into law yesterday (09 July 2020), the president effectively forces Sonko to name a deputy.
The bill has a provision that will legally compel governors to nominate deputies in the event a vacancy arises in their administration as is the case in Nairobi County.
The bill was sponsored by Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, now compels governors to nominate a deputy within 14 days of the occurrence 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.
The bill sought to address a gap in the Constitution as well as in the County Government Act of 2012 which not envisage a vacancy upon the death, impeachment or resignation of deputy governors.
Theatrics and drama have surrounded Sonko’s attempts to nominate a deputy since Mr Igathe resigned in January 2018 on account of failing to earn the trust of Mr Sonko.
He first nominated fiery opposition activist Miguna Miguna but this did not go well and the nomination did not even make it to the county assembly.
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