Embattled Governor Waiguru impeached

The Kirinyaga County Assembly has voted to impeach Governor Anne Waiguru (pictured) with 23 ward representatives supporting the motion anchored on violation of the Constitution, abuse of office and gross misconduct.

Four MCAs abstained and six of the 33 ward reps were absent.

The County Assembly Speaker Anthony Gathumbi announced the vote to remove Waiguru in the Tuesday session as dissenters were expelled from the House.

“I can confirm that the vote has met the two-thirds requirement to decide on this question,” he said.

The impeachment motion was tabled in the Assembly on March 31 by Mutira Ward Representative David Kinyua Wangui, who said he enjoyed the support of at least 24 MCAs in the 33-member legislature.

The MCAs have accused Waiguru of deliberately failing to submit county plans and policies to the County Assembly for approval.

Kinyua accused Waiguru of gross violation of the Constitution by failing to deliver the annual State of the County address to the County Assembly.

“The governor has deliberately refused, failed and/or neglected to deliver the same for the financial year 2018- 2019 which failure amounts to a gross violation of the Constitution and the County Government Act,” said Kinyua.

The governor is also accused of using her office to improperly confer a benefit to herself when she was irregularly paid for travel allowances by way of imprests amounting to Sh10.6 million yet she did not travel. The amount was paid to her personal account in the name of Anne Mumbi Waiguru held at Equity Bank.

A section of Kirinyaga MCAs who had endorsed Waiguru's ouster spent Monday night in the county assembly as they prepared to debate an impeachment motion against the governor on Tuesday.

The Assembly Majority leader James Murango, who was in support of the ouster motion, called on the Senate and President Uhuru Kenyatta not to let them down by retaining Waiguru.

'Contempt of court'

Governor Waiguru had earlier on rubbished the impeachment motion, saying that there was a court order barring her ouster still in place.

In a statement to the newsrooms in the morning, the embattled governor said she obtained an injunction stopping the ouster until her case was determined and proceeding with the motion will be in contempt of the court.

Waiguru was making reference to a High Court ruling on April 7 that temporarily stopped the impeachment, citing the current coronavirus pandemic. Justice Weldon Korir ruled that proceedings against the governor during the Covid-19 crisis was likely to violate her rights to fair administrative action.

She said she would sue the Speaker and those participating in the motion for contempt.