Senate team starts hearing Waiguru impeachment case

A Senate team set up to determine the impeachment case facing Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru starts its hearings today.

The mover of the ouster motion, Mutira MCA David Kinyua Wangui, is expected to table the case against her.

The committee formed last week has until Thursday to also listen to the defence by Ms Waiguru.

In her filings delivered to the Senate on Saturday and seen by the Nation, the governor has denied all accusations against her.

The 11-member committee elected Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala as chairman and Abshiro Halake (Nominated) as his deputy during its first sitting.

In the impeachment motion tabled at the assembly by Mr Wangui, the governor is accused of abusing her office and violating the Constitution.

TRAVEL ALLOWANCES

Mr Wangui says Ms Waiguru was irregularly paid travel allowances amounting to Sh10.6 million “yet she did not make the trips”.

The amounts were paid the same days the invoices were issued, with Mr Wangui adding that the money was deposited in the governor’s Equity Bank accounts.

The ward representative says the governor invoiced the devolved government the amounts between June 2018 and February 2020.

On June 18, 2018, according to the impeachment document, Governor Waiguru invoiced the county government Sh165,375. On September 6, 2019, she invoiced the devolved unit Sh300,000.

On October 29, 2019 according to Mr Wangui, the county boss invoiced the county Sh43,800, January 8, 2020 (Sh943,700), October 23, 2018 (Sh1,107,364), January 15, 2020 (Sh300,000) and February 25, 2020 (Sh1,125,440).

The Mutira ward rep says on August 23, 2019 the governor invoiced the county Sh1,001,910, on June 30, 2019 (Sh2,600,297), June 14, 2019 (Sh455,000), February 18, 2019 (Sh989, 961) and on June 18, 2018 (Sh1,601,767).

REFUNDED ALL THE MONIES

In her defence, the governor says she refunded all the monies that had been reimbursed to her.

“Allowances and imprests for the cancelled official functions were duly refunded to the county government in compliance with relevant public officer policies and regulations,” reads the response.

Ms Waiguru returned the money after the impeachment motion was tabled in the county assembly.

The governor is also accused of violating the 2015 Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act.

According to Mr Wangui, the governor usurped powers of the accounting officer when she formed a tender evaluation committee made up of her employees – Ms Pauline Kamau and Mr Gichira Wayne.

The contracts that Mr Wangui says were irregularly awarded include the proposed indefinite framework agreement for the supply of non-pharmaceuticals.

Two Rays General Supplies Ltd was paid Sh8 million, but did not offer services to the county, the ward representative says.

He adds that a tender for the design, development, installation and commissioning of an integrated hospital management information system was awarded to Velocity Partners Ltd – a phantom company.

The governor terms the allegations as “intentional distortion of information.” She asks the committee to dismiss the case against her.

“The governor is not responsible for direct supervision of public officers working for the county government of Kirinyaga. It is the mandate of the county secretary, chief officers and departmental heads,” reads her defence.