Nairobi residents will head to the polls on February 18, 2021 to elect another governor following the impeachment of Mike Sonko.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairman, Wafula Chebukati, made the announcement in a gazette notice on Tuesday.
The polls agency chief urged aspiring candidates to quit state jobs while political parties intending to participate in the by-election to submit the names of the persons contesting in a party primary by Monday, December 28.
Last week the Senate overwhelmingly voted to impeach Sonko — the vote was won at 27-16 for each of the four charges levelled against him.
Following the impeachment, Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Benson Mutura was sworn-in as the county’s acting governor, assuming the role for 60 days.
Chebukati has told all parties intending to participate in the by-election to submit the list of nominated persons to the commission by January 11, 2021 after listing its primaries.
“Political parties intending to present candidates in this election shall, after its primaries, resolve all intra-party disputes and submit the list of persons nominated to the commission.”
The campaigns in the run-up for the top county seat will start on January 18, 2021, and end on February 15, 2021, just 48 hours before the poll.
“The campaign time shall run from 7am to 6pm during the campaign period,” he said.
Sonko, the second governor to be a victim of the Senate’s axe, was sent packing on Thursday.
Some of the accusations lodged against him included gross violation of the Constitution, abuse of office, gross misconduct and crimes under international law.
The MCAs accused Sonko of diverting Sh297 million meant for bursary for needy students.
Sonko tabled documents showing vouchers and bank accounts of the schools where the cash was channeled in the 2018-19 financial year.
He dismissed the claim and instead accused the sponsor of the ouster motion of engaging in character assassination. Sonko accused some MCAs of using their wives and relatives to divert the money to fake accounts.
He cited a firm which received more than Sh4.5 million meant for bursaries for the poor students. “The mover of the motion was trying to divert the real issues. When he was talking about the cheques which I refused to release, it is true (sic). There are some MCAs who opened fake educational accounts on River Road,” he said.
The now-impeached governor said suspects involved in the bursary were charged in court and the case was ongoing.
The former county chief has since sensationally, and without offering evidence, claimed that Senate Speaker Kenneth was arm-twisted to ensure the House upheld his impeachment.
