Governor Martin Wambora to be sentenced tomorrow for contempt

Embu Governor and Council of Governors Chairman Martin Wambora addressing the media on the drought situation in Kenya at COG Head Offices in Nairobi on January 5th 2022. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Embu Governor Martin Wambora is tomorrow expected to appear before the court in Nyeri for his sentencing after being convicted of contempt.

This move comes after the Employment and Labour Relations Court declined to lift a warrant of arrest against the county boss who has twice failed to appear in court.

Last week, Justice Njagi Marete ordered the OCS Nyeri Police Station to arrest the governor and three other county officials and present then in court for sentencing.

Marete further ordered the Nyeri High Court's Deputy Registrar to serve orders to Nyeri Police Station to effect the arrest orders.

The other three county officers to be sentenced alongside Wambora include County Secretary Jason Nyaga, acting CEC for Finance Mercy Munene and acting Chief Officer Damiano Njagi.

The four were cited for contempt for failure to remit statutory deductions of the Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) members who had lodged a court case and orders to remit the deductions were issued in September 2020.

Marete found the four in contempt on March 9, this year, and they skipped a sentencing date on March 14 before they lodged an application to suspend sentencing pending appeal.

In his application, lawyer Robinson Kigen for the devolved union officials had asked the court to suspend sentencing pending reconciliation and a commitment to clear the arrears.