Embattled Wajir Governor Mohamud Abdi will today know his fate as the Senate reconvenes to consider a report by an 11-member committee that considered his proposed ouster.
The committee chaired by Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni concluded the county boss’ impeachment trial on Friday after two days of intense grilling.
The committee retreated to an undisclosed location after the Friday session to compile a report on the matter.
The report will be tabled before the House today afternoon for consideration.
“The business to be transacted at the sitting shall be the consideration of the report of the Special Committee on the proposed removal from office of the Governor of Wajir County,” Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka said in a gazette notice.
Read: Senate to Form Special Committee to Handle Wajir Governor Abdi’s Impeachment
Governor Abdi was impeached by Wajir Members of County Assembly (MCAs) on April 27.
37 MCAs voted in favour of the motion to kick out the county boss, while 10 voted otherwise.
He is accused of financial impropriety, abuse of office, gross misconduct and violation of the Constitution.
The MCAs have linked the governor’s wife, Khaire Omar, daughter Farhiya Mohamed and son Yusuf Mohamed to alleged irregular multi-million shilling contracts, hence the impeachment.
Read Also: Wajir MCAs Vote To Impeach Governor Mohamed Mohamud
The MCAs, who were represented by Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi during the governor’s trial, told the Senate committee that there was enough evidence that the “governor, wife and children have had their hands competing in the cookie jar”.
“My prayer is that this committee will call these people to order. Misuse of public funds, wasteful expenditure, unaccounted expenditure and outright theft are all gross violation of the Constitution,” the lawyer said.
The governor and his legal team put up a spirited defence in a bid to clear his name.
Read Also: Safaricom Foundation Donates Books Worth Sh100,000 to Sarif Primary School in Wajir
Should Omogeni’s committee recommend Abdi’s removal from office, senators will take a vote to either adopt or reject the recommendations.
However, in the event that the committee dismisses the governor’s ouster, then there would be no further debate on the matter in the plenary.
If the Senate upholds the governor’s impeachment he will join a list of two governors who have been successfully kicked out of office. They are Mike Sonko (Nairobi) and Ferdinand Waititu (Kiambu).
Others who have survived impeachments 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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