ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has overruled a purported directive by the party chairman George Aladwa seeking to stop ODM Members of County Assembly from impeaching Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Sifuna stated that the party would issue a well-informed directive on the matter if needed.
The said letter purportedly written by Aladwa says party leader Raila Odinga had advised the party’s Nairobi County MCAs against signing any proposal regarding the impeachment of the Governor until they are advised further.
"I have been directed by party leader to advise Honourable Members that the party is not supporting the move,"
“You are hereby directed not to vote on any proposed impeachment” read part of the letter.
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But, in a letter seen by the Standard Digital, Sifuna dismissed the claims by the chairman saying the party and the party leader will not interfere with the rights of the members of the County Assembly as they exercise their rights of over-sighting the executive.
“The party do not and will not interfere with the power granted directly by the people to members of the county assembly in the exercise of any of their functions,” said Sifuna.
He further reinstated his position as the Secretary-General of the party, saying he is mandated to officially communicate matters regarding the party.
“We further remind all our members, especially our grass-roots officials that official communication on the party position on any matter is the responsibility of the secretary-general.
This comes in the wake of reports that there was a scheme to remove the embattled governor from office by some of the MCAs from both the Jubilee and ODM parties.
Sonko was on Tuesday charged afresh in the Sh357 million graft case against him after the prosecution substituted an earlier charge sheet with a new one.
In the previous charge sheet, the governor was charged alongside Danson Muchemi, Zablon Onyango and Webtribe Limited, who have since been dropped from the graft charges.
Sonko is charged with two counts.
In the first one, he is charged alongside Fredrick Odhiambo alias Fred Oyugi, ROG Security Limited and Antony Otieno Ombok alias Jamal, of conspiring to commit an offence of corruption and dealing with suspect property in the sum of over Ksh.14 million in respect of a contract
The other is a count of conflict of interest where he is accused of receiving Sh8.4 million from Fredrick Odhiambo alias Fred Oyugi, T/A Yiro Enterprises, through ROG Security Limited.
The case will be mentioned on February 26 for a pre-trial hearing.
