Taita Taveta Governor Samboja to know fate in 10 days

Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja. Ward reps in his county voted to impeach him. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The committee has ten days to look into the allegations raised by the county assembly and report back to the House in the next 10 days.
  • Mr Samboja has moved to court to challenge the decision by the MCAs saying proper procedures was not followed before he was impeached.
  • The court issued injunctions against the speaker of the county assembly and the Senate against instituting the hearings pending the determination of the case.

The Senate has appointed an 11-member special committee to investigate the decision by the Taita Taveta County Assembly to impeach Governor Granton Samboja.

The assembly last week voted to impeach the governor and recommended his removal from office, citing gross violation of the law.

ALLEGATIONS

The ward reps accuse the governor of gross misconduct — misappropriation of funds and failure to assent to the 2019/2020 budget which they say has led to underdevelopment in the county.

The MCAs also accuse the governor of failing to provide leadership in the budget making process,

The particulars of the impeachment were communicated by the speaker of the assembly Meshack Mghanga last Friday and was delivered to the Senate yesterday by Deputy Speaker Kithure Kindiki.

Mr Mghanga also submitted to the Assembly the order paper of October 9, 2019 the date when the impeachment was approved. Others documents submitted were the hansard of the sitting that approved the impeachment motion and the motion with the signatures of the 30 MCAs who voted in support of the motion.

The senators who will sit on the committee are George Khaniri (Vihiga), Njeru Ndwiga (Embu), Ochillo Ayacko (Migori), Agnes Zani (Nominated), Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho), Charles Kabiru (Kirinyaga) , Boniface Kabaka (Machakos), Stephen Lelegwe (Samburu), Beatrice Kwamboka (Nominated).

The committee will pick the chair and the deputy chair.

The committee has ten days to look into the allegations raised by the county assembly and report back to the House in the next 10 days.

Mr Samboja has moved to court to challenge the decision by the MCAs saying proper procedures was not followed before he was impeached.

The court issued injunctions against the speaker of the county assembly and the Senate against instituting the hearings pending the determination of the case.

However, Prof Kindiki  said the Senate had not been served the orders of the court on the matter and nothing could stop it from proceeding with the matter.

“Sub judice rule is not absolute to the Senate. I can confirm there is no injunction and even if it was, we shall have to determine whether to proceed in line with the law and standing orders,” he said.