Kajiado Governor Joseph Lenku has suffered a setback after the county assembly impeached County Executive Committee Member for Education, Vocational Training, Youth, and Sports after a month-long standoff.
Mr Jeremiah Ole Ncharo was impeached on Tuesday afternoon after 21 ward representatives voted in favour of his ouster against 20 MCAs, largely allied to Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition, who voted against the impeachment.
It was a full house parked with tension considering political hardlines between the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition.
None of the ward reps abstained.
The CEC in charge of Public Service Alais Kisota, however, survived the axe after the sub-committee, which probed the allegations levelled against him, exonerated him arguing that the allegations could not be substantiated.
Mr Ole Ncharo was impeached on various allegations including irregular bursary disbursement in violation of Article 201 that included the formation of illegal and incompetent bursary committees, abuse of office, incompetence and misuse of public resources.
Before voting, the committee chairman Amos Sholoi told the assembly that they had noted irregular appointments of bursary committees in Rombo, Keekonyokie and Iloodokilani Wards.
“The committee observed that the tenure for ward bursary committees for Keekonyokie, Rombo and Ilodokilani wards were irregular. This is contrary to Kajiado county public finance management county bursary fund,” he said.
Send him packing
The plea by Mr Ole Ncharo to save his career on the floor of the house fell on deaf ears of the MCAs who were determined to send him packing.
“It’s only three wards that had issues out of 25 wards. If your child scores 98 per cent in exams I know as a parent you will not reprimand that child. Mr Speaker Sir, I’m a subject of political rivalry but…I’m an individual; I have a life to live, a name to protect and I would like to besiege this house to spare me,” he pleaded with the MCAs.
The County Assembly speaker Justus Ngussur is expected to deliver the resolution to the governor for him to dismiss the impeached officer.
Mr Ole Ncharo was appointed by Governor Lenku in the Education docket in February 2019 to replace Samuel Seki, now Kajiado Senator, who had fallen out with his former boss.
The impeachment of Mr Ole Ncharo did not come without a fight characterised by political drama in an effort to scuttle his ouster.
Intense lobbying has been reported to save the CECM.
Last month, a petitioner Mr Henry Namita Shitanda moved to court claiming the impeachment process was flawed by virtue of an unprocedural amendment of a Standing Order that paved the way for the impeachment.
The conservatory orders suspending the implementations of the amendments of standing orders No.62 of the Kajiado County assembly standing orders 2017 were issued on Tuesday, March 7 by Justice F.Rayola Olel.
However, the County Assembly tactfully obeyed the orders but in a huff invoked the County Government Act which is perceived supreme over standing orders okaying the impeachment process.
The turn of events on Tuesday signified the concerted efforts by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) MCAs to send home Governor Lenku’s minister after a protracted battle between the Executive and Assembly.
The UDA MCAs put into play their numerical strength in the Assembly to send the officer packing.
UDA boasts of 21 MCAs while the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya has 20 ward reps who have castigated their counterparts for the impeachment dismissing it as vendetta.
