Nyandarua MCAs kick out Speaker Wahome Ndegwa

Nyandarua County Assembly

Nyandarua MCAs prepare to vote in the impeachment motion against Speaker Wahome Ndegwa on February 10, 2021.

Photo credit: Waikwa Maina | Nation Media Group

Nyandarua Speaker Wahome Ndegwa was on Wednesday afternoon impeached by ward representatives.

A total of 27 out of 31 MCAs eligible to vote during the impeachment motion sponsored by Majority Leader King’ori Wambugu voted to remove Mr Ndegwa.

Seven ward reps were suspended by the Jubilee Party as the impeachment motion was on-going. One MCA voted in favour of the motion from a hospital bed.

The session was full of drama and strategies to ensure the House adhered to conditions issued by a Nakuru Court in a ruling that reinstated Mr Ndegwa after the January impeachment by some 30 MCAs in a Special Sitting convened by Deputy Speaker Zachary Njeru.

Mr Ndegwa had moved to court arguing that he was unprocedurally removed.

On Monday and during yesterday's sittings to discuss the impeachment, Mr Wahome wore a brave face telling the House that he is still the Speaker, whether in bed or walking and will continue discharging his mandate.

And when he appeared to defend himself before the House yesterday, Mr Wahome termed the impeachment Motion as witch-hunting stating that he was cleaner than the cotton.

In yesterday's Impeachment Motion when defending himself in a setting full of dramas, Ndegwa was accused of abuse of office, nepotism, and corruption, allegations he sarcastically denied.

On employing three relatives in the assembly, Mr Wahome said he did no wrong since he is not the employing authority but the county public service board, adding that he genuinely introduced the relatives who he had educated and mentored, but did not participate in interviewing the relatives.

On car hire payment to his private car, Mr Wahome said it was the county procurement officers that requested he submits documents to facilitate the Sh12, 000 per day payments.

He also defended himself against accusations of using vulgar and insulting language saying he had no apologies for calling health executive member Dr John Mungai a witchdoctor since he behaved like one.

At some point, the impeachment Motion was halted with MCAs raising concerns over security as the Sergeant-at-Arms locked all the doors denying the MCAs, media and public from leaving the Chambers and galleries.

It was a double blow to Mr Ndegwa after the Jubilee party suspended seven MCAs allied to him on disciplinary grounds.

The Jubilee letter was electronically served after process servers were denied access to assembly premises by the assembly security team, which later together with ICT department disconnected the live link of the proceedings.