SONKO HAS NOT STEPPED ASIDE

Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko has not stepped aside over corruption allegations because Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro refused to accept his request due to a gap in the law.

It was revealed yesterday that the senator was still in office performing all parliamentary duties after his request to step aside was turned down.

Deputy Speaker Kembi Gitura told the House yesterday that Mr Sonko was still fully in office and had not stepped aside as indicated earlier by the senator.

Mr Gitura said Mr Sonko wrote a letter to Mr Ethuro requesting to step aside for 60 days, pending determination of the corruption allegations against him, but the Speaker refused to allow him because of a gap in the law.

“The status quo remains. The senator has not stepped aside because the Speaker is still in the process of determining if there is such a provision in the law,” said Mr Gitura.

Mr Sonko’s status came into question during the voting for the Potato Produce and Marketing Bill sponsored by Nyandarua Senator Muriuki Karue.

Nominated Senator Judith Sijeny voted on behalf of Mr Sonko.

But Senator Boni Khalwale (Kakamega, UDF) sought to know if it was in order for a senator to vote on behalf of Mr Sonko yet he had stepped aside after his name was among those adversely mentioned in a corruption purge list tabled in Parliament by President Kenyatta.

Senator Moses Wetang’ula (Bungoma, Ford-K) said Mr Sonko should be presumed to be out of office because he has never attended sessions since his name appeared in the corruption dossier.