When 53 Kisii County Ward Representatives overwhelmingly voted to impeach Deputy Governor Robert Monda last month, the warning shot had been fired.
With President William Ruto’s lawyer Katwa Kigen and National Assembly Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro as part of his legal team, Dr Monda headed to the Senate with hopes of overturning the decision of the Kisii County Assembly to send him home.
The first blow came sooner than expected when Senate Speaker Amason Kingi barred the South Mugirango MP from representing the embattled deputy governor.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei and Senate Majority Whip Boni Khalwale (Kakamega) were the first to raise the issue of Mr Osoro appearing as the lawyer for Dr Monda.
It was an ominous sign that party politics would have little or no role to play in the impeachment proceedings unlike what happened in the past.
“There was no party interference. There was no direct influence from anywhere though impeachments are always politically driven,” Senator Cherargei later said.
“The decision of most senators was based on emotions. We had to arbitrate on emotive family issues and allegations of bribery.”
Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi said there was no party position communication from the opposition Azimio la Umoja One Kenya alliance side, resulting in a voting informed by conscience and evidence presented to lawmakers.
“The voting was based on how senators perceived the evidence presented by witnesses. That is why they overwhelmingly voted to send Dr Monda home,” Mr Osotsi said.
Robert Monda impeachment trial - Day 2
The writing had been on the wall way before for the man who surprised many by trouncing then-Gusii political supremo Simeon Nyachae to become the Nyaribari Chache MP in 2007.
Last week, a motion to form an 11-member special committee to investigate the charges levelled against Dr Monday failed on a technicality when the designated seconder, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, withdrew his support at the eleventh hour.
Interestingly, the 11 members of the proposed team were first term lawmakers, except for Kwale’s Issa Juma Boy, James Lomenen (Turkana) and Prof Margaret Kamar (Nominated) – all considered political lightweights.
During the impeachment of Siaya Deputy Governor William Oduol, the special committee route was preferred.
When the report came to the plenary, party interference was evident as 27 senators voted against sending Mr Oduol home against 16.
Former Cabinet Minister Simeon Nyachae. Impeached Kisii DG Robert Monda surprised many by trouncing Mr Nyachae, the then-Gusii political supremo, to become the Nyaribari Chache MP in 2007.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group+
With Dr Monda’s impeachment coming when President Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga have been having political bromance, the decision was left to the parties involved to make.
With the committee route abandoned, the plenary path was quickly adopted, making an already uphill task more difficult.
Dr Monda faced four charges – gross violation of the Constitution, abuse of office, gross misconduct and crimes under national law.
I sold family business to pay Robert Monda Sh800,000 bribe, witness tells Senate
At the centre of the charges were a Sh800,000 bribe from Mr Dennis Mokaya for a commercial manager position at Gusii Water and Sanitation Company that never materialised, a Sh100,000 bribe to company MD Lucy Wahito to influence the recruitment and use of public resources to harass and arrest a brother.
The first blow came when the County Assembly’s witness-in-chief, Mokaya, took to the stand.
Mr Mokaya said he sold a family business to raise the Sh800,000 for the bribe.
Sobbing, he recounted how his family has had it rough after he failed to secure the job, coming a distant fifth in the interviews, and trying to get his money back.
Ms Wahito detailed her summoning by Dr Monda to his office and being told about the advertised positions.
Several video clips were played of women claiming to have been told to part with bribes in order to bursary.
