Machakos deputy governor impeached for insurbodination to Mutua

Machakos Deputy Governor Bernard Kiala was today impeached by a majority vote in the county assembly.

Mr Kiala was impeached on grounds of insubordination to Governor Alfred Mutua, nepotism and abuse of office.

The county assembly on Wednesday debated a report prepared by an ad hoc committee that had been created to investigate the accusations after which 40 out of the 59 members voted for Mr Kiala's impeachment. The fate of the deputy governor now lies with the Senate.

Mr Kiala however said he had anticipated the outcome and was confident of a fair hearing at the Senate.

“The motion is clearly sponsored by the Machakos government and I did not expect the assembly to give me a fair hearing. I was never called to appear before the committee at any one point,” he said.

He said he was confident the Senate would give him a fair hearing and prove that the grounds for the impeachment were invalid. The report had many other grounds on which Mr Kiala could be impeached, according to the Speaker of the County Assembly Bernard Mungata.