Oduol’s D-day as senators decide fate

Impeached Siaya Deputy Governor William Oduol will Monday know whether he will hold onto his lucrative job or kiss it goodbye as senators decide fate.

The Senate’s ad hoc committee that investigated his ouster by Siaya MCAs for gross violation of the constitution, abuse of office and misconduct, is set to table its report.

The report, which will seal the fate of the embattled DG, will be tabled during the special Senate sitting scheduled for 2.30pm.

On Friday, speaker Amason Kingi gazetted the sitting to beat the legal timeline as stipulated in the County Government’s Act.

The 11-member panel retreated to Windsor Hotel in Kiambu on Friday to consider the submission by the county assembly and the deputy governor after two days of intense hearing.

On Sunday, the Star established the committee chaired by Elgeyo Marakwet Senator William Kisang was set to finalise the report  Monday morning ahead of the tabling in the afternoon.

"We are working round the clock and hope to finalise it Monday morning before we table it in the afternoon," nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda told the Star.

Should at least six of the 11 members vote to reject the ouster bid, the impeachment bid shall flop and Oduol will continue serving the people of Siaya as their Deputy Governor.

However, should the majority of the committee members uphold any of the charges, the panel report shall be debated by the House and a vote taken by all the elected members, otherwise known as delegation.

If at least 24 of the 47 delegates vote to uphold the charges, Oduol shall stand impeached.

Siaya Governor James Orengo shall be required to nominate a new person as deputy, send the name to county assembly.

The Assembly shall in turn send the name to the IEBC to verify if the nominee meets all the retirement to run for the seat.

The Assembly will then vet the nominee and take a vote on him. If they approve the nominee, the IEBC shall gazette the person as the new DG.

However, Oduol shall have an option to seek legal redress to save his job.

Yesterday, sources intimated that there is a lot of pressure from the Kenya Kwanza to save Oduol whether at the committee stage or at the floor of the House.

In the case by the MCAs, the ward reps accused Oduol of extravagance.

They claim the DG pushed the county officials to spent Sh18 million to renovate and equip his office outside the budget.

They alleged that Oduol caused the taxpayers to fork out Sh1.12 million for a chair and Sh1 million for a table for his office.

The MCAs presented three chairs—one of them bought for Sh1.12 million and two others costing at least Sh500,000 each—but the committee chairperson overruled them.

“This was in contravention of section 53(2) of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act. The action of the deputy governor of facing unbudgeted for expenditure contravened the canons of procurement requirement,” the MCAs said in the charges.

They also accused him of bullying county officials, inciting the public against the county government and interfering with procurement.

“Cut them young. Do not allow a monster to grow. When you realise that a tree is bending, you cut it while still young,” the MCAs said through lawyer Willis Otieno.

But Oduol denied all the charges, termed them frivolous and persuaded the committee to thrown them out.

Oduol said the allegations against him were scandalous and frivolous and asked the Senate impeachment committee hearing the removal bid to dismiss the case.

“The nature of my impeachment at the county assembly level was narrow, ill-informed, limited, misguided and choreographed to favour those abetting high crimes,” he said.

“I have been targeted simply because I am opposed to maladministration, I have challenged status quo and insisted on strict internal controls. I am the proverbial hunter that has become the hunted,” he added.

The deputy governor denied his personal involvement in the Sh18 million renovation and equipping of his office including purchase of a Sh1.12 million chair and Sh1 million table.

“The renovation was initiated by the governor himself. There was no engagement from my office throughout the procurement process,” he said.