This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu's impeachment motion has been postponed, with the motion's proposer, Athi Ward MCA Peter Kilonzo, citing the absence of several MCAs as the reason.
According to Kilonzo, a section of MCAs were missing, and he had consulted with his team to postpone the motion until their whereabouts were known.
Speaking to the press, Kilonzo stated, "The voice of every ward member must be heard. That is why we have decided to withhold the motion and give time to the missing members to come out of hiding. Every member will be afforded an opportunity to air their views on whether they support or oppose the impeachment."
It has been alleged that 15 MCAs were hiding at a hotel in Tsavo East National Park and had switched off their phones to avoid participating in the debate.
However, Kilonzo maintained that the motion would be tabled once the House was "properly convened" and that the missing members would not be able to hide for long, as the standing orders do not allow MCAs to skip eight sittings consecutively.
Despite the postponement, a section of the governor's supporters have condemned the move, accusing the Wiper team of lacking the requisite numbers to impeach Ngilu and resorting to mind games and delaying tactics.
It is worth noting that the motion had 34 MCAs in support, which falls short of the required 36 members needed for it to pass.
Ngilu's legal team has also sought to cross-examine Kilonzo and Yatta/Kwa Vonza Ward rep John Kisangau during the hearing, citing their roles as key proponents of the motion.
