This archive report was first published on 9 October 2019.
On July 24, 2019, Taita-Taveta Governor Granton Samboja held a press conference in Nairobi to discuss the dissolution of his government following disagreements with MCAs.
Thirty MCAs voted in favor of Governor Samboja's impeachment, accusing him of gross misconduct.
Three MCAs were absent during the heated session, which ultimately led to the ouster of the county chief.
Recently, Governor Samboja had announced plans to petition the president to dissolve the county government.
Despite mediation efforts by several political leaders, including Deputy President William Ruto, ODM leader Raila Odinga, and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, the disputes remained unresolved.
The disagreement between Governor Samboja and the MCAs began in August 2019, when the MCAs slashed the budget allocated for the Executive and set aside Sh833 million for the Ward Development Fund.
Governor Samboja declined to endorse the budgetary proposals, leading to a stalemate that paralyzed the implementation of the 2019/2020 budget.
Assembly Speaker Meshack Maganga had previously expressed a willingness to resolve the standoff through a gesture of goodwill, but Governor Samboja remained adamant that he would not dialogue with the MCAs.
Majority Leader Jason Tuja stated, "The governor has become a stumbling block in our efforts to resolve the budget impasse, something that the assembly cannot stomach anymore. We have exhausted all avenues available. Our next move is to impeach him."
