President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto are fighting a proxy war over the impeachment of Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, who is charged with graft.
Uhuru's men want to see him gone as part of his legacy to fight graft and reflect the will of Kiambu MCAs and the population who have staged demonstrations against him.
Ruto's men are keen to save the governor, an influential Ruto confidant, as they court the Mt Kenya region.
Waituti, his wife Susan Wangari, and eight others are facing graft cases after being accused of irregularly awarding themselves Sh580 million tenders. Waititu also faces charges of abuse of office awarding tenders to get kickbacks.
Uhuru and Ruto's allies — Kieleweke and Tangatanga, respectively, — have clashed bitterly over efforts to remove the county chief.
Kiambu MCAs impeached him last month; now the Senate will hear his case and make a final decision. Since 2013, the Senate has only upheld one impeachment.
The Star has established that Uhuru’s allies in the Senate, working with some State House operatives, are pushing to uphold the Kiambu assembly's decision.
The two camps are strategising to outsmart each other in the special Senate committee that will be formed to investigate the charges against the county boss.
“There are certain people who are trying to save him because of political considerations but the Kiambu people want justice,” nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura told the Star.
Senate speaker Kenneth Lusaka has called for a special sitting tomorrow.
In that sitting, the Senators will decide whether to have the whole house deal with the matter or form a special committee to probe the charges against the governor as stipulated in the County Governments Act.
Section 33(3) of the Act reads, “The Senate, by resolution, may appoint a special committee comprising of 11 members to investigate the matter.”
Some 63 members — two-thirds of the Kiambu MCAs — voted on December 19 to impeach Waititu.
Waititu has protested that his removal was flawed, as the House did not have the requisite numbers to impeach him.
Yesterday, Mwaura said some people in "political leadership" are fighting tooth and nail to save Waititu.
“The Kiambu people want justice. The Senate proceedings cannot be abused so that the Kiambu people cannot get justice. There are very serious charges against Waititu,” he said.
Sources have intimated that Uhuru’s camp and the State House officers are pushing to have Murang’a Senator Irungu Kangata chair a special committee that will recommend the full House either uphold the impeachment or throw it out.
The soft-spoken legislator, who is also the deputy majority chief whip, is a polished lawyer and Uhuru’s strong supporter, tasked with ensuring the removal is realised.
The Uhuru camp wants Kisii Senator Sam Ongeri, an ally of ODM leader Raila Odinga and an experienced legislator, to deputise Kangata on the committee.
According to the pro-Uhuru Kieleweke line-up, the committee would also include Senators Charles Kibiru (Kirinyaga), Issa Boy (Kwale), Samuel Pogishio (Kwale), Ali Hassan (Wajir), Christopher Lagat (Bomet), Fred Outa (Kisumu) and Enoch Wambua (Kitui).
But the Ruto-leaning faction opposes Waititu's removal and has picked Kipchumba Murkomen, the Senate Majority leader, to chair the panel and whip his Tangatanga colleagues in the House to sink the motion.
Waititu is a Ruto confidant and has been seen as one of the DP’s point men, not only in Kiambu but also in the larger Mt Kenya region.
However, he has kept a low profile and has not been attending Ruto’s events in the region since he was charged with the loss of Sh588 million in an irregular tender.
On Sunday, Kangata admitted to the Star there is a push and pull in Jubilee over who should chair the Senate committee.
“The county under consideration is Kiambu, where the President comes from. We must give a verdict that is fair, objective and which resonates with the views of Kiambu people,” he said.
Senate Speaker Lusaka denied division in the leadership of the House and said the Senate will be objective in carrying out its mandate.
“I have not heard [of the divisions]. So far the Senate has been objective. Those are things [talk of division] you would expect to come at around this time. It is politics. Some are for and some are against but eventually, the committee will present its report, then there will a vote.” he said.
On Monday, Lusaka will chair a special meeting of the House Business Committee that will come up with tomorrow's business. Names of those picked by majority and minority leaders to sit on the special committee will be approved for tabling in the House.
The Majority will present six names, while the minority side will table five.
Minority Chief Whip Mutula Kilonzo Jr said the chair of the special committee will come from the opposition-Nasa side, given that Waititu is Jubilee.
“There is a practice we have been developing in the House whereby if the governor is from Jubilee, then the chair should come from Nasa, that way we balance the committee," he said.
Waititu will be the sixth governor whose political career the Senate will be voting on since 2013. Only one case, that of Embu Governor Martin Wambora, has been successful. But Wambora did not leave office due to court orders.
Late last year, the Senate rejected the impeachment of Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja for lack of evidence.
The Senate has also saved governors Paul Chepkwony (Kericho), Mwangi wa Iria (Murang’a), the late Nderitu Gachagua (Nyeri) and former Machakos Deputy Governor Bernard Kiala.
