Several governors eager to get 2016 behind them after surviving impeachment bids

Nyeri MCAs celebrate after voting to impeach Governor Nderitu Gachagua on September 2, 2016. A number of governors are undoubtedly eager to get the year 2016 behind them, as they prepare to defend their seats in the 2017 general election. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • For these perceived ills, a number of them faced impeachment motions by members of county assemblies.
  • They only got a lifeline when the Senate trashed the efforts to kick them out or the same becoming stillborn in the assemblies.
  • They include Dr Evans Kidero (Nairobi), Mr Isaac Ruto (Bomet), Dr Alfred Mutua (Machakos), Mr Martin Wambora (Embu) and Nderitu Gachagua of Nyeri.
  • Dr Kidero also endured negative publicity over allegations he bribed then Supreme Court Judge Philip Tunoi with Sh200 million

A number of governors are undoubtedly eager to get the year 2016 behind them, as they prepare to defend their seats in the 2017 general election.

For a good number of the county bosses, 2016 saw their regimes rocked by allegations of corruption, misuse of funds, lack of development strategies and poor governance.

For these perceived ills, a number of them faced impeachment motions by members of county assemblies, and only got a lifeline when the Senate trashed the efforts to kick them out or the same becoming stillborn in the assemblies.

Reports by the Auditor-General and Controller of Budget proved to be the source of agony for some of the governors, exposing high levels of corruption and misuse of public funds meant for development.

But many others found themselves in trouble because of differences with the members of county assemblies, some of the latter dancing to the whims of the governors’ political rivals, who were only too eager to put the county bosses under pressure as the 2017 elections approach.

Some of the governors who faced and survived ouster bids by the county assembly were Nairobi’s Dr Evans Kidero, Mr Isaac Ruto (Bomet), Dr Alfred Mutua (Machakos), Mr Martin Wambora (Embu) and Nderitu Gachagua of Nyeri.

For Dr Kidero, 2016 was a bitter sweet one.

TUNOI BRIBE CLAIM

After enduring negative publicity in the wake of allegations that he bribed then Supreme Court Judge Philip Tunoi with Sh200 million to influence decision on an election petition against him, Dr Kidero had the last laugh when the tribunal investigating Justice Tunoi closed shop after the retirement age rule caught up with the judge.

In Bomet, Governor Ruto had his fair share of challenges, among them an impeachment bid by the MCAs which came a cropper.

But he will remember year 2016 more for the incident in a stadium in Bomet that left him with a bloody nose after he was reportedly hit by a tear gas canister fired by police officers trying to quell riots.

The governor would later be flown to South Africa for further treatment.

In Nyeri, Governor Gachagua faced his own nightmares as MCAs rallied to kick him out of office over alleged abuse of office and gross misconduct after he declined to sign a Sh6.4 billion budget.

However, the Senate unanimously voted against the impeachment bid for lack of sufficient evidence.

Dr Mutua, too, had his turn before the Senate which grilled him over graft allegation.

He also weathered a storm of impeachment triggered by MCAs