Senators reject Murkomen motion for 11-member team to hear Waititu impeachment

The Senate on Tuesday shot down a motion seeking to establish an 11-member committee to investigate the impeachment of embattled Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu.

The motion, tabled by Senate Majority Leader and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, had proposed Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala as the Chair of the committee deputised by his Nakuru counterpart Susan Kihika.

Members of the committee included Senators Sylvia Kasanga (Nominated), Mohamed Faki (Mombasa), Okong’o Mogeni (Nyamira), Fredrick Outa (Kisumu), Hargura Godana (Marsabit), Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho), Anuar Oloitiptip (Lamu), Mithika Linturi (Meru) and Iman Falhada (Nominated).

The motion however hit a snag as 28 Senators voted against it with only 16 voting in favour of its establishment.

The motion presented another political showdown as a majority of the Senators in support of the motion are allied to Deputy President William Ruto while those against were drawn from the pro-handshake team.

Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka will now gazette a date for the plenary proceedings which will now be attended by the whole House.

The Kiambu County Assembly in December last year voted to impeach Governor Ferdinand Waititu over alleged gross misconduct and abuse of office.

The motion to impeach him was proposed by Ndenderu MCA Solomon Kinuthia and passed by two-thirds of the MCAs in accordance with the County Government Act, 2012.

Waititu however later on wrote to the Senate contesting his impeachment claiming it was unprocedural, adding that there was no quorum in the assembly.