This archive report was first published on 5 June 2020.
June 5, 2020 - Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru is staring at impeachment after a group of nominated MCAs resisted coercion to withdraw their support for the motion. The MCAs, who were summoned to a meeting at the governor's residence in Kangaru, stormed out of the meeting after being threatened and intimidated by senior Jubilee officials and the county boss.
According to the MCAs, they were ordered to withdraw their support for the motion, which has given the governor sleepless nights, on the grounds that it had not been sanctioned by the party headquarters. However, the MCAs stood firm, stating that the motion had weighty allegations that should be ventilated through debate.
The motion, which was moved by Mutira ward MCA David Wangui, accuses Waiguru of leading a criminal enterprise aimed at defrauding county coffers by paying millions of shillings to fictitious companies. The motion has been signed by 30 out of 33 MCAs, and the High Court had earlier suspended impeachment proceedings due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, with the MCAs resisting coercion, the impeachment proceedings are now back on track. The move has been welcomed by some Jubilee officials, who see it as a way to assert the party's authority in the county. Interior principal secretary Karanja Kibicho, who is eyeing the seat, has also intensified his forays in the region, inspecting government development projects in Mwea constituency.
Waiguru had earlier endeared herself to Uhuru Kenyatta when she backed the ruling party's move to crack the whip on supposed wayward members. However, her relationship with her deputy Peter Ndambiri has soured, with their supporters clashing in a recent incident.
