Police block public participation on impeachment of Kisii Deputy Governor

A public participation exercise called to discuss the impeachment bill of Kisii Deputy Governor Robert Monda ended prematurely Monday after police in Masaba South hastily ordered members of the public off the venue.

Gesusu MCA Anthony Onkundi Kerage quickly condemned the deployment terming it an act of intimidation and gross violation of the law.

He said there was nothing out of the ordinary in holding a public forum to discuss an assembly bill.

"We should follow the rule of law, this meeting was not conducted outside the mandate of the constitution. There was no protest as some people were claiming and thus not warranting the heavy presence of the police," Kerage told journalists at the scene.

He spoke as the deputy governor Monda said he was yet to receive papers in regards to the impeachment plot.

“I have not been served. It is a requirement by law and should be served to respond to the accusations,” Monda told reporters Saturday.

In Gesusu, Kerage said officers deployed there had threatened to use force if the attendees did not disperse.

"There are priority areas that need heavy deployment of security like Kapedo and other cattle rusting areas, not where peaceful public participation exercises are being held," Kerage said.

The officers reported to the venue as early as 8. 00 am and drove around the town in anticipation of possible chaos.

"Why dispatch more than ten lorry loads of officers to a simple exercise like this? Here in Gesusu, we have never had incidents of thuggery to deserve such extensive deployments," Kerage told journalists further alleging a political witch hunt for working with Governor Simba Arati.

Some members, however, dodged the police and held the exercise in the MCA office before Masaba South OCPD Sammy Gitonga ordered that they disperse.

Gitonga however declined to speak to journalists regarding the reasons why the exercise was being called off.

Many of those who spoke gave the bill to impeach Monda a go-ahead.

They said Monda should be impeached for 'absconding duty'.

"In instances where a woman runs away from his matrimonial home to commit adultery, she is not allowed to return to his husband and that is what the deputy governor has done," Rachel Ndigiti, a local farmer who turned up for the public participation exercise said.

In other places, the public participation exercise failed to start.

Separately, Dr Monda told journalists Saturday he is ready for impeachment.

He described the motion tabled Wednesday as politically engineered further describing it as a witchhunt because of his association with Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu.

The Deputy governor said his woes began when he hosted lawmakers- Silvanus Osoro ( South Mugirango),  Japhet Nyakundi (Kitutu Chache North), both United Democratic Alliance ( UDA) and Azimio la umoja ones- Senator Richard Onyonka, Dr Daniel Manduku ( Nyaribari Masaba, both ODM and Woman Representative, Dorice Donya, Wiper at his residence,

"As a social being in and out of politics I can be visited by anybody," the Deputy Governor stated.

The impeachment motion was filed by Ichuni MCA Wyclife Siocha.