NAIROBI, Kenya Jun 29 – The Council of Governors (CoG) has urged County Assemblies to shelve impeachment plans on Governors and instead re-focus their energies on helping in the fight against coronavirus.
CoG Chairman Wycliffe Oparanya, who is also the Kakamega Governor said MCAs it was unfortunate that enormous resources were being channeled to kick out Governors at a time the country is facing a major health crisis occasioned by COVID-19.
“I want to urge Members of the County Assemblies to restrain themselves in such a time and use these little resources that are now being used on impeachment to actually fight COVID-19,” he said.
Last week, the Senate overturned a decision by Kirinyaga MCAs to send home Governor Anne Waiguru over allegations of abuse of office among others.
In dismissing the claims, an 11-member Senate committee chaired by Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, said none of their claims was substantiated, although they recommended further investigations on senior procurement and administration officials.
The MCAs have vowed to challenge the decision at the High Court.
And even as Waiguru was cleared, Kitui MCAs are plotting to impeach Governor Charity Ngilu who obtained a court order on Friday, barring them from tabling or debating the motion.
“This is the time that Kenyans must come together to ensure that we flatten the curve so that normal life should resume. We want to open the economy and this cannot happen unless we all come together and fight this particular disease,” Oparanya said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had on Thursday told Governors that the decision to re-open the country’s economy will be informed by the counties’ level of preparedness by the devolved units to respond to Covid-19 infections.
All the counties are required to confirm that they have set up a minimum of 300-bed isolation capacity to accommodate critical virus cases, as Kenya draws closer to her peak which is projected in August or September.
Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa underscored the need by the county governments to work closely with the national government in mitigating the effects of coronavirus.
“During this period let us not turn this season into a season of impeachments. We make a special appeal so that we keep intergovernmental relations at their best and all leaders together so that we have all hands on deck to fight COVID-19,” he said.
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