By Munene Kamau
Embu, Kenya: The High Court was told Wednesday that lust for power and settling of political scores were the main reasons for the ouster of Embu Governor Martin Wambora.
Wambora’s lawyer Nyamu Mate told the court sitting in Keruguoya that the Embu County Assembly grossly violated Wambora’s rights when it went ahead with the impeachment motion even when there were outstanding court orders.
Mate wondered why the assembly ‘targeted’ Wambora when there were officers directly responsible for finances and procurements aspects.
He said the assembly ignored a court order and all the laid down procedures to settle scores with Wambora who doesn’t have any direct role in management of the finances or procurement.
And his colleague Peter Wanyama told the three-judge Bench sitting at the Kerugoya Law Courts that when the new dispensation came into effect, County Transition Authority Secretaries in all the 47 county assemblies assumed the roles of accounting officers.
“My Ladies and my Lord, there is no provision in law or in the new Public Finance Act for a Governor to undertake any financial transactions as this is the mandate of the County Secretaries,” Wanyama submitted.
He told Justices Hedwig Ong’udi, Cecily Githua and Boaz Olao that the county executive committee member in charge of Finance should have been held accountable for the alleged financial improprieties in the county.
He said the Constitution clearly spells the duties of a governor, which are purely executive.
Lust for power
“Why then did the Embu County Assembly drag the name of Wambora into financial matters he is not in any way concerned with if it was not malice and pure lust for power?”Wanyama posed.
He asked the court to clear Wambora of any wrong-doing as management of county
Wanyama also told the court that there is an officer designated to handle procurement matters.
The lawyer asked the court to order for Wambora’s reinstatement as the Embu governor since he had been wrongfully impeached.
More submissions from the defendants are scheduled for this morning when the hearing resumes.
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