NAIROBI, Kenya May 12- Wajir Governor Mohamed Mohamud has denied all allegations leveled against him by the Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) saying his impeachment is politically instigated with malice and witch-hunt.
Mohamud told an 11-member Senate committee probing his impeachment that he had never violated the Constitution or misappropriated County public funds as alleged by the MCAs who voted overwhelmingly to send him home.
“It is my humble plea that the committee will have time to look at the unique circumstances that the Somali Community finds itself in the formation of the government at the County level. I believe the allegations contained in the impeachment by Wajir assembly are politically motivated with malice and witch-hunt,” Mohamud said.
His lawyers Paul Nyamodi and Ndegwa Njiru pleaded with the committee to protect the integrity and professionalism of the Governor, insisting that his reputation in the public service speaks for itself and his impeachment was only meant to tarnish his name.
“The man before you is an innocent man. He is a man who is facing a fishing expedition prosecution. We urge you to protect the man before you, to protect his integrity and uphold his dignity as prescribed in Article 29 of the Constitution,” Ndegwa pleaded.
Governor Mohamud was impeached on April 27 in a vote supported by 37 MCAs against 10.
Among the grounds the MCAs leveled against him include gross violation of the Constitution, abuse of office, poor service delivery and gross misconduct among others.
The County Assembly represented by Lawyer Ahmednassir Abdulahi exuded confidence that with the evidence they have, the committee will have no choice but to uphold Mohamud’s impeachment.
“When we take you through the evidence and show you the graphic but scary incompetence and corruption of the governor of Wajir County, you will reach to a conclusion that Governor Mohamud must be taken out of the political equation of Wajir County,” the lawyer submitted.
“We boldly submit that if the Senate cannot remove him, it will probably not remove any other governor. The evidence is overwhelming. The evidence is indicting,” he said.
He had earlier made a request to have the governor’s wife, son and daughter summoned as witnesses in the impeachment hearing.
The lawyer argued that the three are the epicenter of all the allegations leveled against the governor, including abuse of office and financial impropriety.
The request was however, opposed by governor’s lawyers saying there is no basis as to why the three should be summoned and it might affect the future cohesiveness of the governor’s family if they are compelled to appear as witnesses.
The Committee chairperson Senator Okong’o Omogeni (Nyamira) however, ruled that the hearing proceedings concern the governor alone and there were no viable reasons as to why his family should be summoned to appear as witnesses.
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