Senators Vote to Impeach Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu

The Senate on Wednesday evening voted to impeach Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu following a two-day hearing.

Senators voted to impeach Governor Waititu on three charges namely; a gross violation of the Constitution and public finance management act, crimes under the national law and gross misconduct/abuse of office.

In the first count of violating the Constitution, 27 Senators voted in favor while 12 voted against. In the second count, which the governor was accused of violating national laws, 28 senators voted for his removal while 11 opposed.

The same voting pattern was repeated on the third count of gross misconduct/abuse of office.

The motion for Waititu’s impeachment required a simple majority of 24 Senators to go through. The proceedings against Governor Waititu were heard by the Senate plenary for two days where he pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

In his defense, Governor Waititu blamed his impeachment by the County Assembly on people he termed as Kiambu propagandists.

“Listen to the facts and evidence but not propaganda. Kiambu is known for serious propagandists. That is the nature of Kiambu,” Waititu told the Senate.

Waititu claimed that the impeachment motion, which was first approved by the County Assembly on December 19th last year, did not meet the threshold. He alleged that only 57 MCAs out of the required 62 were present when the county assembly voted to impeach him.

Waititu was accused of gross misconduct, abuse of office and flouting the public procurement and disposal act by influencing the award of contracts to companies associated with his immediate family and close relatives.

He also faced another count of violating the constitution by forcefully dispossessing and unlawfully occupying a parcel of land in Thika belonging to Cecilia Njoki Mbugua, a widow.