Nairobi, Kenya – The Council of Governors in Kenya has urged the National Parliament to swiftly enact the impeachment procedures bill, aiming to establish a robust threshold for the impeachment of governors. This call was led by the Council’s chairperson, Anne Waiguru, who emphasized the bill’s significance in protecting devolution and fostering national development.
According to Kenya News Agency, Waiguru praised the Senate for its handling of the impeachment motion against Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza, which was ultimately dropped. She lauded this outcome as a victory for devolution, highlighting the Senate’s role in maintaining the required standard for removing a governor from office.
Waiguru noted that the Senate has fulfilled its key responsibility of safeguarding devolution, which is currently in the first year of its third cycle. Wajir Governor and Vice Chairman of the Council, Ahmed Abdullahi, echoed this sentiment. He pointed out the need for legislation to prevent unnecessary political dramas in the counties.
Recalling Governor Mwangaza’s first impeachment motion, Abdullahi criticized the haste of Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) in moving to impeach her before her administration was fully established. He questioned the basis for such actions, suggesting they might stem from electoral disputes rather than governance issues.
Mwangaza had faced seven impeachment charges, including misappropriation and misuse of county resources, nepotism, bullying, illegal appointments, contempt of court, illegal naming of a public road after her husband, and contempt of the county assembly, all of which she successfully contested in the Senate.