Senate Speaker Ekwe Ethuro cautions on impeachment wave

By Michael Wesonga

Uasin Gishu, Kenya: Senate Speaker Ekwe Ethuro has now warned that counties that are pre-occupied with impeachments risk stagnating development in their regions.

Ethuro, however, pointed out that the impeachments were as a result of lack of mechanisms to address teething problems facing the counties.

He disclosed that the Senate has developed an elaborate mechanism on how to resolve various issues arising at the devolved units.

Ethuro was optimistic that the Legislature would come up with proper laws particularly on impeachment of the county speaker.

 “The speaker of the county assembly is in a more precarious position since there is no other avenue for recourse after a motion to impeach him or her as been passed unlike a governor who has to await the Senate’s decision,” he revealed.

 embattled Governor

He noted that the county assemblies were only required to forward reasons for seeking removal of governors to the Senate.

 Ethuro said the Senate is set to discuss embattled Embu Governor Martin Wambora fate.

“Senate will sit and discuss the matter. The plenary meets this week and a decision will be made,” he affirmed.

According to the law, an impeachment motion should be received by the Senate two days after it has been passed by the county assembly. The House is then required to meet seven days later to make its resolution on the matter.

The Embu County Assembly impeached Wambora for the second time on Tuesday 29 April barely two weeks after the High Court reinstated him.

All efforts to annul the process including a protest by his supporters to petition President Kenyatta to dissolve the Embu County Assembly flopped.

Governor Wycliffe Oparanya stressed the need for co-operation between the various arms of Government for the benefit of devolution.

“If we keep on fighting each other, then devolution will not work,” he regretted.

Oparanya and Ethuro spoke in Eldoret at the weekend after an ad hoc meeting to review the performance and relationship between governors, senators and other independent oversight bodies.

Despite being among the top-performing governors since taking office, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua last week expressed fears that a section of county assembly members were working in cahoots with his deputy, Bernard Kiala, to impeach him.

And about a week ago, more than 20 members of the Baringo County Assembly threatened to impeach Governor Benjamin Cheboi over the slow pace of development in the area.

The MCAs accused the governor of misappropriating funds, delaying procurement processes and failure to sanction loans for MCAs cars.

In Elgeyo/Marakwet, Governor Alex Tolgos also suffered an impeachment scare before a Motion to send him was thrown out.

MCAs had accused him of incompetence and lack of substantial development since he took office.

Speaking in Eldoret, Chairman of the newly formed Public Investment and Accounts Committee of the Senate Bonny Khalwale said they will have to make do with the current law until they legislate on a new one.