Why governors are scared of looming impeachments
By Hillary Mageka, May 21, 2021
Hillary Mageka @hillarymageka
Governors will today hold a crisis meeting to discuss fears of looming impeachments of at least five county chiefs over corruption allegations.
Sources within the Council of Governors (CoG) said they were privy of elaborate plans by senators and MCAs to impeach at least five governors “in the coming days” over alleged graft.
“Senate has failed to set standards of what amounts to gross violations of the Constitution.
As such, the impeachment process appears to be a political witch hunt, a vice that should not be allowed to disrupt governance,” CoG Chairman Martin Wambora told journalists on Wednesday.
“In this regard, we shall hold a full Council meeting on May 21, to deliberate on this matter and issue a comprehensive statement on the same,” Wambora said.
Today’s meeting comes hot on the heels of Monday’s impeachment of Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi Mahamud by the senate.
The five county chiefs said to be next on the chopping board are Wycliffe Wangamati (Bungoma), Ali Korane (Garissa), Amos Nyaribo (Nyamira), James Nyoro (Kiambu), and Vihiga’s Wilberforce Otichillo.
The county chiefs accuse the senate and the county assemblies of deliberately lowering the threshold for impeaching governors in order to kick some of them out of office.
Blatant violation
They have also taken issue over what they term as blatant violation of the assumption of office of a Governor Act resulting in a hurried swearing-in of deputy governors as it was the case in Kiambu and Wajir counties.
Some county chiefs allege that ouster motions are being bankrolled by their political opponents and businessmen eyeing the 2022 General Election.
The county bosses are concerned that the Senate has exposed them and made it easier for them to be removed from office through flimsy impeachment grounds.
A source at the CoG offices told People Daily that the crisis meeting has been convened after some governors raised concerns of growing antagonism between them and their Executives.