Senate Speaker Amason Kingi at the Senate in this picture taken on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has barred senators from traveling outside the country ahead of the crucial impeachment trial against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
In a terse communication, Mr Kingi directed that no senator or Senate staff should leave the country until substantive business coming before the House is dispensed with.
The former Kilifi Governor also directed that no committee meetings or activities should be held outside Nairobi between Tuesday 8, 2024 and Saturday, October 19, 2024.
“As you are aware, the Senate has substantive upcoming business for consideration in the coming days. Given the gravity of these matters, it is paramount that we maintain a focused presence in the Senate,” said Mr Kingi in the internal memo dated October 8, 2024.
“To this end, all travel by honourable senators and members of staff of the Senate outside the country has forthwith been put on hold,” he added.
Taking no chances, Mr Kingi said the directive is aimed at ensuring that all senators prioritise participation in the important business before the Senate without any distractions or disruptions.
“This directive aims to ensure that all senators are able to prioritise their participation in these important proceedings without distractions or disruptions,” he said.
The latest development comes at a time when the Senate is presiding over two impeachment trials against Kericho Governor Erick Mutai and DP Gachagua.
Cases of Members of County Assembly or MPs going missing during impeachment business have been witnessed before in the country.
Recently, 16 Kericho MCAs loyal to Dr Mutai boycotted his ouster motion in a bid to deny the assembly the much-needed threshold.
Nonetheless, the county boss was impeached with 31 out of 47 MCAs voting to remove the first term governor from office.
In 2020, former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko ferried at least 57 MCAs to Kwale County at the height of his ouster in a bid to defeat a censure motion seeking his removal from office.
In 2014, an impeachment motion against Ms Anne Waiguru failed to take off on a technicality after former Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi failed to show up in Parliament to table the motion as he was holed up in Naivasha.
Dr Mutai will need to thwart any vote reaching the magic number of 24 while DP Gachagua will have his work cut out to frustrate any vote hitting 45 senator mark.
Senators have resolved to hear the two impeachment trials in plenary, setting stage for the participation of all the 67 senators with the DP’s case requiring all senators to vote.
On Tuesday, the Senate resolved to have Dr Mutai face the plenary next week starting Monday as he fights for his survival following his impeachment by MCAs last week.
The embattled county boss’ impeachment trial at the Senate will be conducted in plenary between Monday, October 14 and Tuesday, October 15, 2024.
With the special committee route flopping, Mr Mutai will now face all the 67 senators in plenary after which only the elected legislators will vote to either uphold or reject the resolution by Kericho County Assembly.
“The clerk will immediately issue an invitation to appear to the parties who will then file their responses by October 12 and the Senate shall investigate the matter in plenary on Monday and Tuesday October 14 and 15, 2024,” said Mr Kingi.
A day later, senators also decided to have DP Gachagua’s trial be heard in plenary after again defeating a proposal to establish an 11-member special committee.
DP Gachagua’s impeachment trial at the Senate will be conducted in plenary between Wednesday, October 16 and Thursday, October 17, 2024.
He instructed the Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye to immediately issue an invitation to appear to the DP, National Assembly and parties to file responses by Monday October 14, 2024 5pm. The clerk will then circulate the documents to senators on the same day.
The development means it will be all hands on deck even for the staff as they will be needed in handling of the documents from the witnesses and parties involved in the two cases.
