After a month-long impasse, the County Executive Committee Member for Education, Vocational Training, Youth, and Sports was impeached by the county assembly, defeating Kajiado Governor Joseph Lenku.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mr Jeremiah Ole Ncharo was impeached after 20 MCAs, many of whom were linked with Azimio La Umoja's One Kenya Coalition, voted against the impeachment, and 21 ward representatives voted in favour of his removal.
Given the political divisions between the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition, the room was packed and tense.
The ward representatives didn't all vote.
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Alais Kisota, the CEC in charge of the Public Service, avoided being fired after the subcommittee that looked into the accusations against him cleared him, saying that they couldn't be proven.
Many charges against Mr Ole Ncharo led to his impeachment, including irregular bursary disbursement in violation of Article 201, the formation of unauthorized and ineffective bursary committees, abuse of office, incompetence, and misappropriation of public funds.
Amos Sholoi, the committee's chairman, informed the Assembly that they had observed irregular appointments of bursary committees in the wards of Rombo, Keekonyokie, and Iloodokilani before the vote.
"The committee noted that the Keekonyokie, Rombo, and Ilodokilani ward bursary committees had unusual terms of office. The Kajiado County Public Finance Management County Bursary Fund opposes this "said he.
Send Him On His Way
The MCAs, who were set to fire him, ignored Mr Ole Ncharo's pleas to save his career on the floor of the house.
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"Out of 25 wards, there were only three that experienced problems. I am confident that as a parent, you would not discipline your child if he or she received a 98 percent on an exam. I am a target of political rivalry, Mr. Speaker, but... I want to besiege this house in order to be spared since I am an individual with a life to live and a reputation to uphold "He begged the MCAs to listen.
The resolution to dismiss the impeached officer is anticipated to be delivered to the governor by County Assembly Speaker Justus Ngussur.
In February 2019, Governor Lenku replaced Samuel Seki, who had a falling out with his old boss and was now a Kajiado Senator, with Mr Ole Ncharo on the Education docket.
Mr Ole Ncharo's impeachment did not occur without a struggle marked by political drama to prevent his removal.
There has reportedly been intense lobbying to keep the CECM.
A petitioner, Mr Henry Namita Shitanda, filed a court case last month, alleging that an improper alteration to a Standing Order that allowed for the impeachment tainted the impeachment process.
On Tuesday, March 7, Justice F. Rayola Olel issued conservatory orders suspending the application of standing order No. 62 of the 2017 Kajiado County Assembly standing rules.
However, the County Assembly deftly carried out the directives but then angrily invoked the County Government Act, which is seen as superseding standing orders and approving the impeachment procedure.
After a protracted conflict between the Executive and Assembly, the turn of events on Tuesday represented the combined efforts of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) MCAs to remove Governor Lenku's ministry.
The UDA MCAs used the Assembly's size to remove the officer.
Whereas Azimio La Umoja One Kenya has 20 ward reps, UDA has 21 MCAs. These ward reps have criticized their colleagues for the impeachment and dismissed it as a personal vengeance.
