Senate makes final ruling Governor Samboja’s impeachment

The Senate has made a final ruling on the impeachment of Taiata Taveta Governor Granton Samboja.

The Special Committee constituted to hear the impeachment said that the allegations leveled against the Governor by Taita Taveta Members of County Assembly (MCAs) were not substantiated.

The ruling by the Senate Committee comes barely two weeks after Governor Samboja was impeached by MCAs.

Bad blood

The motion came amid bad blood between the Wiper Party-elected Governor and the county's MCAs.

Samboja had started the process of collecting signatures to petition President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve the entire county government by the time the motion was voted on.

He had accused MCAs of making unnecessary expenditure demands that affected his development budget.

The Taita Taveta county boss became the sixth governor to be impeached since the Establishment of devolution.

Others who have been impeached include the first Embu Governor Martin Wambora, Governor of Nyeri County Nderitu Gachagua (deceased), Paul Chepkwony (Kericho), Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni) and Mwangi wa Iria of Murang’a.

Despite the numerous impeachments, no Governor has lost his seat due to an impeachment as the resolutions have either been overturned by the Senate or by the courts.