Senate set to deliver verdict on Waiguru impeachment

The fate of embattled Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru will be known on Friday after the special Senate committee investigating her impeachment retreated Thursday to write its report.

Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka, in a special gazette notice issued Wednesday, convened a special sitting where an 11-member special committee that heard charges against the governor will table its report, setting the stage for debate and voting.

If the special team finds that the allegations facing Ms Waiguru have not been substantiated, the matter will come to an end as further proceedings shall not be taken in line with Section 33(6) of the County Government Act, 2012.

However, if the committee chaired by Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala returns a verdict that the allegations have been substantiated, the Senate will, after according the governor an opportunity to be heard in the plenary, vote on the impeachment charges.

Ms Waiguru was impeached by 23 Kirinyaga MCAs out of 33 ward representatives on June 9. The ward representatives accused her of undermining the authority of the assembly, abuse of office and gross violation of the Constitution.

On Wednesday, Ms Waiguru put up a spirited fight against the MCAs accusations saying no money was lost in the various procurements that formed the basis for her impeachment.

Ms Waiguru said there was no failure in the performance of the 10 contracts that the MCAs alleged were irregularly issued to companies of her choice.

Through the county’s Director of Supply Chain Management Joseph Otieno, Ms Waiguru denied claims that she had appointed close associates Pauline Kamau and Gichira Wayne to key procurement committees to secure her interests.

“The assembly has failed to prove that any of the tenders mentioned in the impeachment motion were irregularly awarded or that the county incurred any financial losses a result of the said awards let alone proving how the Governor was conferred any benefit,” Ms Waiguru said in her closing statements.

She said her lawyers had dispelled the false allegations that formed the basis of the impeachment.

“The issues raised could have indeed been clarified through routine inquiries. I therefore call upon this committee to thoroughly scrutinise the evidence submitted here and disregard any unsubstantiated claims,” Ms Waiguru said.