•Ward reps impeached the county boss on Wednesday, October 9, after months of intense fights over ward development fund cash.
•The Senate panel carrying out the probe has 10 days to table its report
Image: RAPHAEL MWADIME
A special Senate committee probing the impeachment of Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja by the county assembly has summoned the county chief and the MCAs.
The embattled governor has been asked to appear before the committee chaired by Embu Senator Njeru Ndwiga today to defend himself against the allegations leveled against him by the ward reps.
The MCAs will appear before the 11-member panel tomorrow to substantiate their allegations before the committee that has only 10 days to table its report.
“We held our first meeting today [Monday] and we have invited the two factions. We want to listen to the parties and any other person who might have information between tomorrow and Wednesday,” nominated Senator Naomi Waqo, a committee member, said.
The panel is carrying on with the probe despite a court order served on the House by the governor stopping it from investigating the impeachment.
Last Thursday, deputy speaker Kithure Kindiki ordered the committee to continue with its work, saying that the Senate was not party to the suit filed by the governor.
He also noted that Standing Orders do not allow a House of Parliament to be stopped by the Judiciary. He promised to give further directions this afternoon.
The ward reps impeached the county boss on Wednesday, October 9, after months of intense fights over ward development fund cash.
In documents presented to the Senate by the county assembly speaker Meshack Maganga, the MCAs detailed seven grounds among them misappropriation of funds and inciting the public against the assembly for the ouster of the governor.
They accuse the governor of gross misconduct and violation of laws and the Constitution.
“[The governor violated the law through] Misappropriation of funds contrary to Section 196 of the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act, 2012,” they said.
They said Samboja misappropriated funds through expenditure on unbudgeted projects, unwarranted formation of task forces, stalled projects and failure to prudently implement development budget.
The MCAs further accuse Samboja of failing to submit to the county assembly an annual report on the implementation status of the county policies and plans, as required by the County Governments Act, 2012.
“Failure to deliver the annual state of the county address, as required by section 30(2) (k) of the County Governments Act, 2012,” the ward reps say in the documents presented to the Senate.
Samboja’s administration, they said, failed to remit statutory deductions to the relevant institutions including KRA, NHIF, NSSF contrary to the Income Tax Act, Cap 470, the NHIF Act, Cap 255 and the NSSF Act, Cap 258, Laws of Kenya.
The also accuse the governor of gross misconduct by failing to adhere to the County Assembly Resolution on the Ratification of Mr. Davis Mwangoma as the acting CEC for Finance and Economic Planning.