Kitui governor survives motion to impeach him

By PAUL MUTUA

A motion to impeach Kitui Governor Julius Malombe has been defeated at its infancy.

 Yesterday, Kitui County Assembly Speaker George Ndotto declared the motion seeking the House’s adjournment to discuss the governor’s impeachment withdrawn and subsequently dead.

 Ndotto’s ruling followed a division in the assembly where some members expressed discomfort with the motion and vowed to oppose it.

There was more confusion when the mover of the motion, Peter Mutemi, changed his stand and said he was withdrawing it to build consensus with dissenting members.

 Mutemi told the House: “It was my intention to implore members to arrive at a compromise and pass the motion without division. It is unfortunate that this is no longer the case. In the unfolding circumstances therefore, I wish to withdraw the motion of adjournment,” Mutemi said.”

He said he did not expect such opposition from the members over an issue that has gained interest among the people of Kitui County.

Before the withdrawal, the speaker had differed severally with Mutemi and other members who were pushing to have the House adjourn its sittings until today at 2:30pm in order to deliberate on the governor’s impeachment.

 Mutemi had risen on Standing Order Number 28 and said; “In view of reports carried in the media on Tuesday March 25, 2014 touching on matters of importance to the county and indicating a regrettable breakdown of relations between the County Assembly and the County Executive, this assembly therefore resolves to adjourn its sittings until Thursday March 27, 2014 at 2.30pm to enable members discuss the matters informally.”

 But undeterred, Ndotto rejected the motion. He said there was no way the House would adjourn to discuss any matter outside the House and classify it as formal.

The Speaker said attempts to introduce the motion of adjournment to allow members retreat so as to deliberate on the conduct of the governor was unprocedural.

He said the mover should instead present a substantive motion on the “weighty matter” that touched on the character of an individual.

 “The intended motion touches on an individual’s character and cannot be entertained as an ordinary motion,” said the speaker as he threw out the motion on a technicality.

Before Mutemi brought the motion to the House, a group of MCAs had on Monday announced plans to file a motion seeking to impeach Malombe.

The MCAs were accusing the governor and his county executive members of laziness, incompetence and being insensitive to the needs of Kitui people.

The Ward Representatives resolved to boycott celebrations planned by the executive members to celebrate achievements of devolution in all eight sub-counties of Kitui that kicked off on Tuesday.