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The Senate will this morning begin hearing Siaya Deputy Governor William Oduol’s impeachment trial.
The 11-member special committee chaired by Elgeyo Marakwet lawmaker William Kisang explained that the committee will conduct the hearing today and tomorrow where they will give both the MCAs and the deputy governor a chance to prosecute their cases.
This even as the committee planned to call for a special sitting on Monday to consider the report of the impeachment trial of the embattled deputy governor.
Investigate charges
According to Kisang, the committee will retreat for report writing after listening to the complainants and the defendant before the deadline on Sunday, June 25, 2023.
The committee has been tasked to investigate the charges and particulars levelled against the deputy governor.
The Siaya County Assembly was removed from office by impeachment, of the besieged Oduol.
Kisang disclosed that his 11-member committee met yesterday morning to go through the modalities of the process and is now ready to begin the impeachment trial. “We met in the morning and went through all the matters pertaining to the case and we are now ready to go. We will begin tomorrow (today) at 10 am,” he said.
Oduol is facing a myriad of allegations including gross violation of the Constitution and other laws, with the Ward reps charging that he interfered with the procurement process through bid rigging and coerced the Head of the County Procurement Unit to provide raw evaluation reports and unsigned professional opinions.
The MCAs also allege that Oduol unjustifiably changed specifications in tender documents for road construction and acted ultra vires to the provisions of procurement laws.
Under the abuse of office and gross misconduct, Oduol is accused of bulldozing officers to renovate the Deputy Governor’s Office outside approved budgetary provisions as well as misusing public resources by facilitating officers to attend an irrelevant function.
Present witnesses
The MCAs will be the first to appear before the Senate Committee today to make their submissions and prove why they impeached the deputy governor.
They will then be followed by Oduol tomorrow to defend himself against the charges facing him either by himself or through his legal team.
The two parties are also expected to present their witnesses during the impeachment trial where Oduol faces four charges including gross violation of the Constitution and other laws, abuse of office and gross misconduct, bullying and misleading the public by giving false information.
If the special committee reports that the particulars of any allegation against Oduol have not been substantiated, further proceedings shall not be taken in respect of that allegation.
However, if the allegations have been substantiated, the Senate shall, after giving the deputy governor an opportunity to be heard, vote on the impeachment charges.
If a majority of all the members of the Senate, 24 in this case, vote to uphold any impeachment charge, Oduol shall cease to hold office.