• They will appear before the 11-member Senate ad hoc committee probing her impeachment at 10am.
• According to committee chairman Cleophas Malala (Kakamega), the parties will be given an opportunity to make their opening remarks.
Image: FILE
Embattled Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and her accusers – the MCAs – will on Tuesday face off as the Senate begins hearing her removal charges.
They will appear before the 11-member Senate ad hoc committee probing her impeachment at 10am.
According to committee chairman Cleophas Malala (Kakamega), the parties will be given an opportunity to make their opening remarks.
Soon after, Kirinyaga assembly speaker Anthony Gathumbi, either in person or through an advocate, shall lay their case against the county chief for the rest of the day.
The committee summoned the speaker last Thursday to appear for the hearing and present names of three MCAs who would accompany him.
Gathumbi was also asked to provide 20 hard copies of the documents which they will rely on to lay the charges. He was further asked to provide names of possible witnesses.
“Take note that should you choose not to appear before the committee and thereafter, the Senate shall proceed with this matter in accordance with the Constitution without further reference to you,” reads the summons letter.
The ward representatives voted to impeach the governor on June 9. They have accused her of violating the Constitution and abusing her office.
Waiguru is accused of failing to deliver the state of the county address as stipulated in the Constitution.
She is also accused of violating Section 46 of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act by usurping the powers of accounting officers.
On Wednesday, the governor and her lawyers – Kamotho Waiganjo and Paul Nyamodi – shall take the stand to counter the charges.
On Saturday, Waiganjo and Nyamodi filed bundles of documents to the Senate as a response to charges levelled against Waiguru by the MCAs.
“We have filed all responses substantive to the all the charges levelled against the governor. The responses are contained in 40 cartons,” Waiganjo told journalists.
“She will have the entire morning and maybe part of the afternoon. Thereafter, we shall give each party an opportunity to make some rebuttals before we close the day,” Malala said.
He disclosed that his committee will immediately retreat to an undisclosed location to scrutinise the submissions and file a report.
The report shall be tabled on the floor during a special sitting on Friday.
Should the committee find any of the allegations to be valid, it will uphold the MCAs' decision to remove the governor. The decision shall be subjected to a vote on the floor.
However, should the majority of the member dismiss the allegation, the case shall be defeated.
Edited by Henry Makori