This is in keeping with the resolution the drafters of the constitution made that state officers must be held to a high standard and those who fall short must face consequences for their conduct or omission. Never mind that many who are subject to impeachment were able to go past the requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution.
In fact, a good case can be made that Chapter Six is a joke.
This must have been in the minds of the Supreme Court justices when, in the Mike Sonko case, the court made it clear that Chapter Six was not enacted in vain.
The apex court emphasised that the position of state officer is a position of public trust that, therefore, those holding the position must hold it in a manner that shows respect for the people, brings honour to the nation and promotes public confidence in the integrity of the office.
Concluding that the impeachment did none of that, the Supreme Court dismissed Sonko’s petition challenging his impeachment and removal from office.
No one has dared impeach a president since 2010 though grumblings have been made here and there to do just that but it’s doubtful that will ever happen.
Well, it is said never say never so, let’s just say not soon.
As for Sonko, the former Nairobi governor is one of the six governors who have been impeached. However, only one other governor, Ferdinand Waititu, who, like Sonko—and the two have a lot in common, was removed from office.
The other four beat the charges and survived their respective impeachment.
By leaving undisturbed the impeachment and removal from office of Sonko and Waititu, the Supreme Court mad it known Chapter Six may be a paper tiger, but it nonetheless has some viability in holding accountable the worst among the worse.
Then there is this most recent saga with Siaya Deputy Governor William Oduol. All 42 MCAs of Siaya county voted to impeach Oduol who was accused of gross violation of the constitution, abuse of office, gross misconduct and misleading the public by giving false information.
A Senate committee unanimously found Oduol guilty of two charges: abuse of office and giving false information.
The matter was then taken up by the full Senate, where 27 senators voted to reject the unanimous committee’s report recommending Oduol’s removal while 16 senators voted to boot the deputy governor.
This is objectively oxymoronic. How can a committee comprising both Kenya Kwanza and Azimio senators unanimously vote to recommend removal of a state officer yet the full Senate votes in a super majority to reject the recommendation and save the officer’s job? How will this promote public confidence in the deputy governor’s office among the people of Siaya?
Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi may have an answer. The senator says that his Kenya Kwanza counterparts were coerced, and arm-twisted into protecting Oduol from removal obviously for political reasons.
It was previously reported that both President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga urged their respective party members to vote with their conscience, which begs the question, who intervened to save Oduol?
And to what end? This may make sense if it was some governor with clout or ability to influence things politically, but a deputy governor? Not worth it.
Any perceived benefits from the purported arm-twisting pales in comparison to piling on to the growing narrative things are not going in the direction millions of voters hoped and believed they would with the new government.
Crafty politicians chose their battles wisely. It is a lesson not learned by many and the consequence is suffering unnecessary losses or winning meaningless victories that do more harm than good.
Above all, even as we continue to witness the formation of more battles ahead politically, lost in the plotting are the very people government is there to help. It baffles the mind why this is the case, but history is replete with examples where the people said enough is enough and sent their countries in a forceful new direction.
