Kitui MCAs shelve Governor Ngilu’s impeachment motion

There was drama at the Kitui County Assembly Monday morning after a group of ward representatives blocked lawyers representing area Governor Charity Ngilu from accessing the office of the assembly clerk.

The legal practitioners who were sent packing were responding to the summons on behalf of the Governor.

Ngilu’s Lawyers had made their way to the assembly to have the summons issued to the County Governor cancelled as per the high court directive that barred members of the county assembly from tabling or debating the impeachment motion against her.

MCAs are accusing Ngilu of irregular procurement and failure to pay statutory deductions to Kenya Revenue Authority.

Ngilu Lawyers barred from accessing Kitui County Assembly to answer to the summons on behalf of the Governor. @edkabasa pic.twitter.com/n5OmpVVzUG

— KBC Channel1 News (@KBCChannel1) June 29, 2020

Meanwhile, Kitui County Assembly has temporarily suspended its plans to impeach Governor Charity Ngilu after the High Court issued orders halting the ouster bid.

This after lawyers representing the Governor filed an application on June 24, 2020, challenging tabling and debating of the impeachment motion.

The motion to remove Ngilu from office was moved last week by Athi Ward Representative and the Assembly’s leader of majority Peter Kilonzo.

Some of the grounds advanced for the Governor’s ouster include gross violation of the Constitution and the County Governments Act by failing to honour summons of the Senate.

Speaking to the press in Kitui on Sunday, Lawyers Kimuli and Oloo warned that proponents of the impeachment motion risk getting jailed for contempt of court should they choose to proceed with the ouster debate come Monday, June 29, 2020.

They also claimed that movers of the motion were driven by malice and did not adhere to legal provisions in crafting the impeachment motion.

Athi Ward Representative, Peter Kilonzo drafted the motion in which Governor Ngilu is accused of violating the Constitution, abusing her office and gross misconduct.