This archive report was first published on 20 December 2019.
Waititu's Fate in Senate Hands ¶
Members of the Kiambu County Assembly (MCA) voted to impeach Governor Ferdinand Waititu on Thursday, December 19, 2019.
The Senate must now convene within 10 days to determine whether the claims against Waititu are substantiated.
According to the law, a special committee will be set up to investigate the claims, and the Senate must approve the verdict by at least 50% of the elected senators.
Waititu will be required to appear before the Senate to answer the charges against him.
His impeachment is a significant boost to the deputy governor's camp, with James Nyoro acting as governor since Waititu was implicated in graft and barred from accessing the county headquarters.
Waititu's impeachment is the fourth in Kenya, following Embu Governor Martin Wambora, Kericho's Paul Chepkwony, and Taita-Taveta's Granton Samboja.
However, Wambora was saved by the court, while Chepkwony and Samboja were given a lifeline by the Senate.
During the impeachment vote, 63 MCAs voted to oust Waititu, with 28 absent and only one, Anthony Ikonya Mwaniki, opposing the motion.
Ikonya was later kicked out of the assembly by Speaker Stephen Ndichu for being unruly.
Waititu's fate now lies in the hands of the Senate, which will determine whether the claims against him are substantiated.
Meanwhile, the governor's corruption case is ongoing, with the Judiciary expected to rule on his application to be reinstated to office.
Waititu and his wife, Susan Wangari, are facing corruption charges after being accused of irregularly awarding themselves Sh580 million tenders.
