• Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu said the travesty visited upon Waiguru is one of the many crooked ways that 'PhD machinations' are using to pull her down.
• Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga also condemned the impeachment terming it as a travesty of the law.
Image: COURTESY
Women leaders have come out to strongly condemn Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru's impeachment.
Public Service and Gender CS Margaret Kobia now says Waiguru's impeachment during Covid-19 global pandemic is a major injustice to women leadership.
In a statement on Wednesday, Kobia demanded justice and due process to be followed in Waiguru's impeachment.
The CS said the move was an indicator that strong women leadership is not valued in the country.
“It is unfortunate Waiguru's term is being cut short by the alleged impeachment. We are disappointed that the governor is being disturbed during the fight against Covid-19 which is negatively impacting on socio-economic development of the country,” she said.
Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu said the travesty visited upon Waiguru is one of the many crooked ways that 'PhD machinations' are using to pull her down.
"We strongly condemn it. My sister Anne, take heart, hold your head high and continue serving the people of Kirinyaga. You will be vindicated," Ngilu tweeted.
Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga also condemned the impeachment terming it as a travesty of the law.
"As women leaders, we take great exception with the purported impeachment of Governor Anne Waiguru. This travesty flies in the face of the law given the court order stopping proceedings," she said.
Senate Deputy Speaker Margaret Kamar on her part said Waiguru's impeachment was malicious and full of illegalities.
"Due procedure shall be followed in the Senate and sober deliberations made without sideshows. The right to fair hearing is well safeguarded in the constitution," she tweeted.
She further added that female leaders must me respected and political witch-hunt should never be confused with matters integrity.
Twenty-three out of 33 MCAs on Tuesday afternoon voted to impeach the governor over gross-misconduct and abuse of office.
The impeachment motion was filed by Mutira Ward MCA David Kinyua.
The ward representatives ignored a court order that had halted the impeachment proceedings.
In April, the High Court temporarily stopped the impeachment of Waiguru on grounds that the current Covid-19 pandemic will violate her Constitutional rights to a fair hearing.
Kirinyaga Assembly Speaker Antony Waweru ruled that courts could not bar the assembly from carrying out its work as it was an independent entity.
The MCAs claimed, for instance, that Waiguru had failed to improve roads, blocked the modernisation of Wanguru Stadium and sabotaged senior national officers from carrying out their work in the county.
She was also accused of gross misconduct by seeking over Sh10.6 million payments for nonexistent travels.
Kinyua claimed Waiguru conferred herself the benefit by irregularly receiving the cash for travels between June 2018 and February this year.
She was also accused of procuring a Sh5 million official vehicle using funds meant for Contractors Retention Account and thus misappropriating public fund despite the same having been done by her predecessor Joseph Ndathi.
MCAs also blamed Waiguru of failing to make the crucial annual State of the County’s address, thus undermining the County Assembly’s authority.
The worsening health services in the county was also blamed on the governor with MCAs accusing her of sacking medics.
The governor was also accused of undermining the authority of the assembly by not submitting county plans and policies for approval and also failing to table the annual report on their implementation status.