Swearing in of Benson Mutura as acting Nairobi Governor postponed

Swearing in of Benson Mutura as acting Nairobi Governor postponed

The swearing in of Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Benson Mutura as acting Governor has been postponed to a later date due to time restrictions.

According to the Assumption of Office Committee Chairperson Justus Kathenge, the judge who was to preside over the ceremony arrived late.

“The Constitution stipulates that the exercise be conducted from 10am-2pm,” he said on Friday.

The news to suspend the much anticipated swearing was announced when the Speaker who was supposed to take oath of office was already seated in the chambers.

Mutura was to be sworn in following the impeachment of Mike Sonko on Thursday night by the Senate.

A team of 10 legal officers from the Nairobi County Assembly have been roped in to ensure a seamless process when the new date of swearing in is announced.

The law states that if a vacancy occurs in the office of county governor, the deputy county governor shall assume office as county governor for the remainder of the term.

However, Nairobi County has had no Deputy Governor since Polycarp Igathe resigned in 2018 saying he had failed to earn the trust of Governor Sonko to enable him to drive administration and management.

Due to this situation, the law provides that if a vacancy occurs in the office of county governor and that of deputy county governor, the speaker of the county assembly shall act as county governor.

Election to the office of county governor is to be held within 60 days after the Speaker assumes the office of county governor.

Benson Mutura was elected as the Speaker of the Nairobi County Assembly in August this year after his predecessor Beatrice Elachi resigned.

Mutura’s candidature was backed by both the Jubilee Party and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

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