Embu assembly begins the process of firing Governor Martin Wambora

Embu Governor Martin Wambora. [PHOTO: STANDARD/FILE]

BY JOSEPH MUCHIRI

KENYA: Embu Governor Martin Wambora was Tuesday impeached by the local county assembly over corruption allegations.

Wambora was impeached despite an order issued on Thursday by Kerugoya High Court restraining the assembly on grounds that they did not serve Wambora with a notice on specific grounds for the impeachment and did not give him opportunity to be heard.

Speaker Justus Mate said the high court order which was prepared by the court's deputy registrar lacked in competency because it did not have the seal of the court

Wambora became the first governor in Kenya to be impeached and the Senate will now form a committee to investigate him to remove him from office.

The motion met the threshold required after 22 out of the 27 members present voted for it while three voted against it.

Deputy Speaker Ibrahim Swaleh who moved the motion said the members had received a letter originating from the governor's office inviting them for a study of devolution in Rwanda for five days

"This was meant to buy us. The total cost of the tour would have amounted to more than Sh13million. It is a shame the level this county is taking while no bursaries have been offered while roads are in bad shape," he said.

Embu Deputy Governor Dorothy Nditi was also impeached after the members accused her of being a conspirator in corruption in the county.