• At least 24 of the 47 elected senators (delegation) are needed to sustain the charge
• MCAs had accused the governor of among others, squandering Covid-19 funds and running down the health care system in the county.
Image: FILE
Wajir Governor Mohammed Abdi has been impeached.
A total of 25 senators voted in favour of the ouster motion on Monday night.
Two senators voted against the motion while four abstained.
The impeachment takes effect immediately, though Abdi can appeal the decision in court.
Mohammed Abdi had earlier made a passionate appeal to senators to be sympathetic and humane to him and spare his job.
The county chief appealed to the House to carefully study the charge that has been sustained by the committee that investigated his ouster, and give him another chance.
“I wish to plead with the senators to be sympathetic and not just impeach me just because of one issue. It can be a violation of the Constitution but it is not a gross violation,” he said.
The county chief pleaded before the plenary after a House committee that investigated his ouster recommended his removal for violating Article 43 of the Constitution.
The committee chaired by Nyamira senator Okong'o Omogeni had found the governor culpable of running down the health care system in the county thus compromising the right to health of the residents.
However, the governor said the offence does not amount to gross violation of the Constitution and proceeded to list the achievements his administration had made in the health sector.
“Impeachment is in our laws. However, in my opinion, the impeachment before the House does not meet the threshold. What the committee has sad is that health was an issue that was impeachable but it cannot amount to gross violation of the Constitution,” he submitted.
“The main impeachment is said to be gross violation of the Constitution by not providing adequate health facilities…According to me, we have provided enough…I could be impeached for violation of the Constitution but it cannot be for gross misconduct,” he said.
The county boss said that his administration has built 50 new health facilities, acquired a powerful generator to run an oxygen plant and the entire county referral hospital.
He said the county currently has 16 operational ambulances.
“In our diagnostic survey conducted by the national government Wajir county was given 89 per cent. We were rated second best in diagnostic,” he said.