The Embu County Assembly has communicated to the Senate of their recent vote. Photo/ FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 6 – The Senate has for the second time this year set up an 11-member special committee to investigate the conduct of Embu Governor Martin Wambora after the Embu County Assembly accused him of corruption and being unfit for office.
Thirty-five Senators approved the special committee which will now meet on Wednesday to decide on its work programme which will include summoning the Embu Governor to respond to the allegations, as well as County Assembly Members to shed light on the allegations against him.
It is expected to report back to the Senate within 10 days.
Senate Speaker Ekwe Ethuro convened the Upper House for the second time to determine the fate of the beleaguered Embu Governor after he received documents from the County Assembly on Wambora’s impeachment.
“The most important thing is to give the committee sufficient time to prosecute the matter, and then when they have published that work that is what you can interrogate it. It’s not really the size, gender composition, gender or regional balance of the membership of the committee or whether they were there before,” Ethuro stated.
The set of documents that the Senate has from Embu County includes particulars of the allegations against Wambora; the results of the vote in the County Assembly to kick him out; the roll of members of the County Assembly who backed the motion to eject Wambora; the Hansard of the day, resolution made and the register of attendance.
He said he would communicate via a gazette notice when the House, which is currently on recess, would reconvene to receive the committee’s report.
The fresh process was kicked off when Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki moved the Motion to form the committee, saying the matter touched on the core business of protecting counties and county governments.
Senators George Khaniri, Wilfred Machage and Stewart Madzayo objected to the formation of the special committee and requested the Speaker to allow a direct vote because the House had exhaustively debated and voted on the matter in February.
Madzayo and Machage argued that the Embu Governor was unlikely to receive a fair hearing from the committee which comprises the same members who recommended his initial impeachment.
But the Senate Speaker rejected the plea, stating that the motion being considered was different from the one that was handled in February.
With the backing of Kindiki, Moses Wetangula and James Orengo, Ethuro informed the House that the committee would look into the conduct of Wambora unlike in February when it looked at the allegations against Wambora and his Deputy Dorothy Nditi.
The law requires formation of a special committee to investigate allegations against Governors, and then have the committee report to the Senate, which will then sit, deliberate and vote on the matter.
Senators Kindiki, Wetangula and Kipchumba Murkomen cautioned that the committee would be keenly watched on how it conducts business, asking members to employ due diligence and avoid being swayed by other interests.
Elgeyo Marakwet’s Murkomen promised Wambora a fair hearing.
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