Senators to decide Kericho governor’s fate on Tuesday

The Senate will vote on Tuesday on the fate of embattled Kericho Governor Paul Chepkwony who is facing impeachment.

A Senate committee chaired by Kisii Senator Chris Obure was last night expected to conclude its report for tabling in the House on Tuesday.

The committee held hearings last Wednesday and Thursday and received submissions from the embattled governor and the County Assembly with each side trading accusations.

The governor is the second in as many months to face impeachment in the Senate after Embu’s Martin Wambora. The Embu governor was impeached, but he has gone to court to challenge the move.

When Prof Chepkwony faces the Senate, only elected senators will vote to either agree or disagree with the committee’s recommendations. He will be given a chance to address the House before the final vote is cast.

The two-day hearings held at Kenyatta International Conference Centre were preceded by accusations and counter-accusations centred on why and who sponsored the impeachment of the governor.

Although the impeachment has been premised on three charges, the governor gave a different version to the committee investigating his conduct that painted a cornered county boss facing tribulations after failing to heed the MCAs’ exorbitant demands.

On Thursday, Prof Chepkwony presented himself as an obedient servant who followed the law and consulted with the necessary personalities before making major decisions affecting his county.

Defending himself and his character, the governor narrated how he had been coerced by MCAs into parting with millions of shillings from the county government coffers to escape impeachment.

He said his problems began when he failed to bow to the members’ demands, saying he was paying for failing to give them bribes.

The County Assembly rebuffed the bribery claim, saying the governor was resorting to sideshows to cover up the truth. The assembly’s lawyers said Prof Chepkwony had failed to give substantive responses to the three charges only insisting on the bribe demand and accusing some members of being drunk during voting.

According to the governor, however, the MCAs demanded about Sh52 million to drop the motion.

The governor said he was asked to pay Sh500,000 to each of the 32 MCAs fronting his removal, Sh1.5 million to a “key” MCA, Sh1.2 million to the “next key” MCA and Sh1 million to third-most “key” representative.