Already the Senate Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations has slotted him an appearance on December 4, 2024.

The County Public Accounts Committee, on the other hand, has committed to host him the subsequent day of December 5.

On both appearances, Arati will be grilled on development expenditures.

The Devolution Committee is especially searching for answers on the County’s dismally low budgetary expenditure on development.

They had since sent Governor Arati to return with relevant documents during the December 4, 2024 invite.

Among other issues, Arati is expected to shed light on the county’s developmental efforts and spending.

The committee would require written submissions on the County Bursary Act.

This grilling will clarify the legal framework under which bursaries are being allocated by his allocation.

Arati will also provide a Comprehensive List of Bursary Beneficiaries.

The Governor, already fingered as truant for missing more than five Senate summons, would further provide present details of all beneficiaries in the Financial Year 2022/2023, specifying their respective wards.

On The Kisii County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2022–2027 – The CIDP, Arati is expected to outline the county’s strategic priorities and the roadmap for achieving them over the five-year period.

Still before the Devolution Committee,Arati would be explaining about the County lease Agreements for Avocado and Banana Processing Factories.

On the November 21, 2024 summon, he was ordered to return with the copies of the agreements signed between his administration and private investors in these ventures.

The two processing establishments were done by former Governor James Ongwae to boost the region’s agricultural value addition and economic growth.

The Committee’s resolutions reflect growing scrutiny of county governments to ensure funds are allocated and utilized effectively for developmental purposes.

Governor Arati constantly continues to face criticism over ed delays in implementing impactful projects, with residents expressing frustration over unmet expectations.

On December 5, Senate County Public Accounts Committee wants him to explain audit queries on financial reports 2021 /2022 and 2022 /2023.

It has already issued a warning written to him over his truancy saying it may be forced to use the police to ferry him to the sittings should he he fails to turn up.

The Senate has constantly fingered Arati for ‘slighting numerous various committee summons’ citing ‘busy engagements’ or international travel commitments’ as alibi.

The post Inside Arati’s Two Day Long Grilling by Senate Committees appeared first on KahawaTungu.

Arati has been in the cross hairs of the House for months for constantly skipping various committee invites.

On Tuesday, the Senate through a letter addressed to him gave him a final warning that shall he fail to appear before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee to explain audit queries on financial reports 2021 /2022 and 2022 /2923 he will be arrested.

The Senate mulls especially using the police to ferry Arati to the sittings should he he fails to turn up for the December 5th, 2024 invite.

The Senate has constantly fingered Mr Arati for ‘slighting numerous various committee summons’ citing ‘busy engagements’ or international travel commitments’ as albi.

On December 5, 2024, the Public Accounts wants him to, among other things, explain audit expenditure queries in the the 2021/2022 budget and 2022/23.

The invite Tuesday came with a rider though that should he fail he would arrested, slapped with a fine or serve a jail sentence or both.

“Take this note that should you fail to attend before the committee on the date and time spelt on this summon or produce the documentation required by the committee, the committee may impose on you a fine not exceeding Sh 500,000 or may order for your arrest pursuant to section 19 (1) and c (roman 1)respectively, of the parliamentary powers and privileges for which you shall be liable for conviction or a fine not exceeding Sh 200,000 or a jail term not exceeding 6 months, or both a fine and imprisonment,” said the letter signed by JM Nyengenye, Clerk at the Senate.

The Senate has revoked the November 13 summon after the embattled County boss absconded without giving reason.

The Senate County Public Accounts Committee is mandated to among other things, examine reports of the Auditor on the annual accounts of the County Governments.

Arati was at first invited by the same committee on Thursday June 27, 2024 but declined the invitation and requested that it be rescheduled.

On June 18, the date he had agreed to attend, he failed again to turn up.

He similarly failed to turn up for a rescheduled appearance on 18th,June 2024 insensing the committee officials.

He later excused himself from a summon on September 2, 2024 and requested that he turns up on 10th, the same month.

He too absconded.

The Senate cited more other six similar invitations to which Governor Arati failed to honour.

Last week, Arati during an appearance before the Senate’s Devolution committee cited the frosty relationship with Senator Richard Onyonka among reasons for low absorption of development funds in his County.

On December 5, Arati is expected to turn up with written responses regarding the audit of the fiscal years 2021/22 and 2022/23.

He is expected to provide written responses in regards to the receiver of revenue statements for financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23 and the County Revenue Fund for the fiscal years.

The post Senate Now Invokes Arrest on ‘Evasive’ Arati Over Absconding Committee Summons  appeared first on KahawaTungu.

Gachagua man on the cross, and the day of reckoning awaits him at the Senate on Wednesday October 16.

This after the High Court in Nairobi on Tuesday declined to bar the Senate from hearing the impeachment motion against the embattled DP.

Another ruling issued on Wednesday morning by High Court Judges Eric Ogola, Fridah Mugambi and Anthony Mrima on Gachagua’s bid to stop Senate impeachment trial allowed the process to continue.

At 9am on Wednesday, the Senators are required to have all taken their seats at the chambers and will be going for a pre-hearing meeting that will take about one hour, according to a schedule released by the Clerk.

This session that will be held behind closed doors will be termed in court terms as a pre-trial hearing.

The Senators at 10am will then go into preliminaries that will entail recital of the mandate of the Senate, rules of procedure and hearing programme.

This will also include introduction of lawmakers representing the National Assembly and their counsel, if any, and finally introduction of the Deputy President and his counsel.

The National Assembly will be represented by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Eckomas Mutuse, who is the mover of the impeachment motion, Rarieda lawmaker Otiende Amollo, JLAC Chairperson George Murugara, Homa Bay Town legislator Peter Kaluma, as well as his Kanduyi counterpart John Makali.

From 10.30 to 11am, Clerk of the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenye will read the charges against the Deputy President and then put the question to him whether he is guilty or not.

Thereafter, the two sides will each be given half an hour to make their opening statements.

After the opening statements then comes the marathon hearings starting with the National Assembly, who will have 3 hours to prosecute Gachagua, and two hours for the Deputy President to cross examine his accusers.

At 7.30pm, the Senate will adjourn awaiting Thursday, the final day of hearing the impeachment motion.

The post All Set for Impeachment Motion Before Senate After Court Rulings  appeared first on KahawaTungu.

This now means Gachagua will defend himself against allegations presented as grounds for his ouster when the motion comes to the floor of the Senate on Wednesday and Thursday, in accordance with a programme drawn by the Clerk.

Justice Chacha Mwita said that the process of impeachment should be allowed to continue to its conclusion.

Justice Mwita further referred the matter to Chief Justice Martha Koome to appoint a three-judge bench to hear and determine the case.

He said it will now be upon the discretion of the CJ to task the same three-judge bench she appointed to hear the other petitions touching on the DP’s impeachment, to also hear the petition seeking to bar the Senate from proceeding with the ouster process.

“Having considered the application and the argument by parties on the Constitution and precedent, the prayer for grant of conservatory order is declined,” ruled the judge.

“However, in view of the issues raised in this petition, which also appears to relate to those in Petition E522/2024 which has been certified for purposes of appointing a bench of uneven number of judges to hear, I certify this petition as raising substantial questions of law and of public interest in terms of Article 165 (4) of the Constitution. This file is to be placed before the Honourable Chief Justice to proceed and appoint an uneven number of judges to hear this petition.”

“Give the close proximity of the issues in this petition and those in Petition E522, the Honourable Chief Justice may consider whether this petition may be heard by the same bench appointed top hear Petition E522,” he said.

CJ Koome has already set up a bench consisting of Justices Erick Ogola, Antony Mrima and Dr. Frida Mugambi, to hear five petitions seeking to prevent the impeachment of DP Gachagua.

Gachagua, represented by a legal team led by Senior Counsel Paul Muite, is challenging the impeachment on several grounds, including a lack of public participation

Justice Chacha Mwita said although the constitution grants courts jurisdiction to intervene when theres a threat or violation to human rights, the court must exercise restraint in matters of impeachment .

This process he said has been committed to Parliament which must be allowed to run its course.

“There should be a delicate balance in respective mandates of different arms of government. courts should strive to achieve their balance and respect what parliament is constitutionally required to fulfill,” said Justice Mwita.

The post DP Gachagua Suffers Blow as Court Declines to Stop Senate Impeachment Motion appeared first on KahawaTungu.

This is after a motion by Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot to form a special committee to hear charges against the DP flopped for lacking a seconder.

Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna declined to second the motion firing the ‘mood of the House’.

This sets the pace for the impeachment which is before the senate.

Insiders say the process should be concluded by October 18.

This is because there is another impeachment motion before the senate of the Kericho Governor Eric Mutai.

If at least two-thirds of the senate vote to uphold the impeachment, Gachagua will be dismissed.

The Senate met just hours after the National Assembly impeached the Deputy President following a day-long debate.

Speaker Amason Kingi directed the plenary shall investigate the charges on Wednesday October 16 and Thursday October 17 next week.

The National Assembly and Gachagua have until end of Monday to submit their evidence.

The Special Motion, introduced by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, outlined 11 charges against the Deputy President, including gross violation of the Constitution, undermining the President and the Cabinet, undermining Devolution, and compromising judicial independence by publicly attacking a judge.

Additional accusations included making inciteful statements, committing economic crimes, spreading false, malicious, divisive, and inciteful remarks, publicly insubordinating the President, and persistently bullying State and public officers.

The post DP Gachagua to Defend Himself Before Senate Plenary  appeared first on KahawaTungu.

House clerk Samuel Njoroge wrote to his Senate counterpart Jeremiah Nyegenye on the resolutions in a letter dated October 8 and received on October 9.

“Attached herewith, please find a message in respect of the Resolution of the National Assembly on its approval of a Special Motion on the Removal from Office, by Impeachment, of H.E. Rigathi Gachagua, EGH, Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya.”

“Enclosed with the message please find copies of the following-Notice of Special Motion and Affidavit of the Hon. Eckomas Mwengi Mutuse, MPdated 26th September, 2024 and received on 27th September 2024 running from page 40 to 42, electronic evidence relating to the Special Motion · contained in a flash disk, Order Paper for 1st October, 2024, Communication from the Chair No. 046 of 2024 issued on 1st October 2024 5) Communication from the Chair No. 047 of 2024 issued on 1st October 2024, Certified Hansard and Votes and Proceedings for 1st October, 2024.”

Other needed documents were also transmitted to the Senate.

The law says once the motion is passed, the Speaker shall inform the Speaker of the Senate of that resolution within two days and the President shall continue to perform the functions of the office pending the outcome of the proceedings required by law.

Within seven days after receiving notice of a resolution from the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Speaker of the Senate shall convene a meeting of the Senate to hear charges against the President.

The Senate, by resolution, may appoint a special committee comprising eleven of its members to investigate the matter.

A special committee appointed shall investigate the matter and report to the Senate within ten days whether it finds the allegations against the DP valid.

The Senate will then vote on the same.

The National Assembly voted Tuesday to impeach Gachagua from office.

In a historic vote held on Tuesday evening, 281 MPs voted in support of the impeachment motion against Gachagua.

Some 44 legislators voted against the motion while one legislator abstained.

The Special Motion outlined 11 charges against the Deputy President, including gross violation of the Constitution, undermining the President and the Cabinet, undermining Devolution, and compromising judicial independence by publicly attacking a judge.

Additional accusations included making inciteful statements, committing economic crimes, spreading false, malicious, divisive, and inciteful remarks, publicly insubordination of the President, and persistently bullying State and public officers.

Before the vote, Gachagua appeared before the National Assembly where he defended himself against the allegations for about two hours. He dismissed the claims as “outrageous and baseless propaganda” aimed at tarnishing his reputation and removing him from office.

Gachagua condemned the impeachment proceedings, calling them the “most shameful act” in the history of the House, asserting that legislators were attempting to oust a democratically elected leader based on fabrications.

The post National Assembly Informs Senate of Impeachment of DP Gachagua appeared first on KahawaTungu.

Mwangaza expressed joy at the Senate’s decision to probe charges against him through plenary.

The Senators rejected a proposal by the House Business Committee to establish an 11-member committee to hear impeachment charges against Mwangaza.

“Hallelujah,” the Meru County boss said on X after news broke she will appear before all Senators to defend herself.

The Senate on Wednesday held a special sitting to hear the charges made against Mwangaza after 40 out of 69 members of the Meru County Assembly voted to impeach for the third time since her swearing-in.

The move came after Senators on Wednesday voted against a motion proposing the establishment of a Special Committee to hear the grounds for Mwangaza’s impeachment.

“The majority leader moved the motion at order number 8  of the establishment of a special committee to investigate the proposed removal from office by impeachment of Kawira Mwangaza. The motion has been negatived,” stated the Senate Speaker Amason Kingi.

“The route of the special committee is abandoned and the Senate will investigate the proposed removal from office by the impeachment of Kawira Mwangaza in plenary pursuant to section 33 (3a) of the County Government Act.”

During the voting, most senators underscored the sensitivity of Mwangaza’s case saying that the plenary would allow Kenyans and the Meru people to follow up on the case in real time.

In the motion moved by Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, the proposers wanted the matter referred to the Special Committee arguing that being the third impeachment motion against Mwangaza, the committee would be most effective in cross-examining the parties involved.

“The situation of Meru is a very complex one and requires serious thinking because we don’t want to make a decision and then we are told to deal with the same. There may be instances where we might need to look at provisions of Article 192 of the Constitution; whether to suspend the county and send everyone home or not. That can be done executively in a committee, in a report which can be sent to the president for action,” said Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi.

“I know the plenary way is more popular but the most effective one in this circumstance is the committee way. I want to ask members to support the members so that  we deal with this problem once and for all.”

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna had also seconded the motion stating that “In my view, then Committee way is a far superior way of interrogating these issues than the plenary manner. The Senate is on recess and it is not fair to drag the entire Senate to sit here just to listen to these allegations.”

Following the House decision, the Speaker directed the Senate Clerk to issue invitations for appearance to the parties on Wednesday after which the parties would then be required to file the responses with the office of the Clerk of the Senate before Saturday 5 pm.

The clerk will then circulate documents received by parties to senators before Sunday 5 pm after which the Senate will commence hearing on Monday.

Mwangaza was impeached last week by the county assembly for the third time, with 49 MCAs voting for her ouster.

During the voting on Thursday, three MCAs did not vote, while 17 others voted against the impeachment motion moved by Zipporah Kinya – the Deputy majority leader.

She cited three grounds, including Gross violation of the constitution and other laws, gross misconduct, and abuse of office.

The post Senate Plenary To Begin Governor Mwangaza Impeachment Hearing On Monday appeared first on KahawaTungu.

Sakaja was summoned by the Senate Energy Committee that was looking into the Mradi gas explosion in Embakasi that occurred on February 1, leaving 6 dead and 200 people injured.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna requested the Inspector General (IG) of police, Japhet Koome to arrest the Nairobi governor and present him to the Senate committee.

Sakaja Thursday defended himself saying he was out of the country.

“Appearing before the Senate is a constitutional requirement which I take seriously. It is the same members who announced that I was out of the country on Monday who are now up in arms that I am away.”

“I have appeared severally and will continue to do so. I have no reasons not to answer to respond to any questions raised on Mradi or FY 20-22 audits. Sensationalizing a rescheduling and making the Senate appear as if it acts in vain is what belittles the house,” he said in a post.

He added many appearances by other invitees have been rescheduled due to travel, infirmity or prior booked official engagements.

However, this is not the first summon by a Senate Committee that Sakaja has missed.

On Monday, the County Public Accounts and Investments Committee (CPAIC) censured Sakaja for repeatedly failing to attend scheduled meetings and ignoring the summons.

Sakaja was summoned by CPAIC on April 8 to explain how Sh76 billion was used in four subsequent Financial Years from 2019 to 2023, but he did not comply.

CPAIC has directed the IG to compel the governor to appear before the committee within 14 days.

If the committee finds that the Sh76 billion cannot be accounted for, it can advise the Treasury not to fund Nairobi County and to legal action to be taken against Sakaja.

The post Sakaja Fails to Appear Before the Senate Again, Fined Sh500,000 appeared first on KahawaTungu.

CS Kuria on Tuesday evening alleged that Mwangaza’s sole offense was “looking down on people”. This he said as he singled out 13 senators for being misled.

Led by Majority leader and Kericho senator Aaron Cheruiyot, the lawmakers demanded that the former Trade CS be removed from office.

Cheruiyot said that the CS’s continued stay in office was detrimental to the President William Ruto-led administration.

Read: Senate Warns Moses Kuria Against Commenting on Mwangaza’s Impeachment Trial

“Speaker, I agree with members of this house who have brought a motion of censure before to discuss the conduct of this particular minister because every given opportunity has done nothing but embarrass the appointing authority,” he said.

”In fact, it is my submission, that the earlier CS Moses Kuria is let off his duties, the better for this administration because in every single day, in every action that he undertakes, he continues to embarrass the President and the People.”

Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang called on Members of the National Assembly to table an impeachment motion against the former Gatundu South MP.

“I  want to urge the members of the other house because they are the ones who have the responsibility of censoring and sending serious judicial notice of the conduct of this particular cabinet secretary,” he said, as he urged Cheruiyot to talk to Ruto about the same.

Read Also: CS Moses Kuria Unveils 10-point Plan To Enhance Service Delivery

“The CS is an embarrassment, not just to the government, but to the Republic of Kenya and the entire East Africa.”

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna wondered how much embarrassment the head of state can endure from his ministers.

“One of the things that I asked myself is just how much embarrassment does the President have to endure?” he posed.

On Tuesday evening, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi warned Kuria against uttering comments on the matter or risk being summoned by the House.

“I, therefore, caution Moses Kuria, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management, and all other persons to desist from adversely making utterances whether written or spoken with the conduct of the impeachment process which may prejudice the just and fair disposal of the present matter,” Kingi said.

The post CS Kuria is an Embarrassment – Senators Say As They Call for his Impeachment appeared first on KahawaTungu.

The matter will be mentioned on October 25.

The Senate Powers and Privileges Committee suspended Orwoba from the House until February next year.

The lawmaker was suspended over alleged gross misconduct.

The misconduct constituted a breach of privilege under Section 16 (e) and Paragraph 7(a) of the 4th Schedule in the Parliamentary Power and Privileges Act 2017.

Read: Senate Suspends Gloria Orwoba Until February 2024

According to the report tabled before the House, Orwoba made allegations of sexual favors in Parliament.

“That the Senator on diverse dates made unsubstantiated allegations that there were instances of pursuit of sexual favours in Parliament by posting various messages on the Senate Business Whatsapp groups,” reads the report in part.

Further, the committee said that the legislator made allegations of discrimination within the House.

“That, Sen. Gloria Orwoba, MP on diverse dates, made unsubstantiated allegations that there was discrimination in Parliament by posting various messages on the Senate WhatsApp groups.”

The post Court Nullifies Senate’s Decision to Suspend Gloria Orwoba for Six Months appeared first on KahawaTungu.