Wajir Deputy Governor Ahmed Ali Muktar is set to be sworn in today, May 18 as the county boss following the impeachment of Mohamed Abdi.
Abdi was removed from office after the Senate upheld his impeachment yesterday.
In a gazette notice seen by this writer, Abdullahi Maalim, the Chairperson of the Assumption of the officer of Governor Committee, said the swearing-in ceremony will take place at Wajir County Headquarters.
In a special sitting held on Monday, 25 Senators out of 47 upheld the impeachment of the governor over alleged gross violation of the Constitution, as recommended by an 11-member Special Committee of the Senate.
Read: Senate Committee Recommends Impeachment of Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi
Two Senators opposed the impeachment while four abstained.
While recommending the removal of the governor from office, the Senate committee chaired by Nyamira Senator Okong’o O’mogeni said the Wajir MCAs had substantiated one out of 17 charges leveled against the county chief.
The committee noted that that the governor violated the right to health of the people of Wajir County.
“The committee finds that the allegation was proved and was therefore substantiated.
“The committee further found that the allegations meet the threshold for impeachment of the governor under Article 181 of the Constitution,” reads the report in part.
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The Wajir MCAs had, among others, accused the governor of squandering Covid-19 funds and running down the health care system in the county.
“A total of Sh2.92 billion was allocated towards improvement of the current health care system…. despite these colossal amounts…. Under the keen eye of the governor, the health system fell into disrepute, disrepair and failed as a whole,” Habaswein MCA Hussein Abdirahman Dahir, who testified against the governor, said in a sworn affidavit.
The Senate committee said that the MCAs failed to substantiate the second charge of abuse of office and gross misconduct.
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Abdi is the third governor to be removed from office through impeachment.
The other two are Mike Sonko (Nairobi) and Ferdinand Waititu (Kiambu).
Governors, who have survived impeachments, in the past include Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga), Paul Chepkwony (Kericho), Granton Samboja (Taita Taveta) and Martin Wambora of Embu.
Unlike the rest, Wambora’s impeachment was upheld by the Senate. He moved to court and was reinstated in 2015.
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