Voting is underway in the Kisii County Assembly to determine the fate of County Deputy Governor Robert Monda.
Monda is fighting to save his career after Ichuni MCA Wycliffe Siocha filed an impeachment motion against him.
Among other charges, Monda is accused of abuse of office with claims of bribery attached to the impeachment motion facing him.
Monda has since denied claims of graft when he appeared before the assembly Thursday morning.
He vigorously rebuffed the claim he had extorted a bribe to influence the employment of one Denis Misati, the youth in the Centre of the ouster motion filed against him by Siocha.
While there are registered monetary correspondences between his Mpesa and some bank accounts of the aggrieved, the payment was in relation to a debt that was being repaid to him by the young Misati's father.
About Sh 500,000 was forwarded to his contact in two instalments as a refund for money he had early extended to Misati's father, a family friend of many years, he said.
It is however through the cordial relationship with Misati's that had made them free to reach out to each other for help.
"They (the Misatis) had visited me in my house and later, I and the father withdrew to talk issues as friends when I asked if he could refund the money I had extended to him to enable me to travel out of which he obliged and instructed some, including his son and wife to facilitate the refund to me and which they did from the cop bank to my account," Monda told the assembly in defence.
He however denied using the same money to influence a failed employment opportunity of Misati's at Gusii Water and Sanitation Company.
This arose after the portion of the same money was forwarded to Ms Lucy Muthoni, the managing director of the Gwasco.
What is regarded as bribery was in fact 'money that strayed into a wrong contact', Monda said adding that he discovered the anomaly the following morning.
"I did make the effort to have the money transferred to me so that I could direct it to one Gladys Aminga who I had contracted to do transportation work for me," stated Monda.
And regarding the family relationship with brother Reuben Monda resulting in his arrest after an altercation, the Deputy Governor said he had reported the matter to the police who were better placed to handle it than fighting with machetes as brothers.
"The matter is still active with the police. For those questioning me, I may ask what is better. Reporting the matter to the police or fighting with pangas as others do?" he posed in defence.
Monda had sought Katwa Kigeni and Ochoki Wilkins as his defence.
Wycliff Siocha (ODM) is seeking Monda's ouster on account of abuse of office.
The three counts of charges are linked to bribery and the arrest of his brother Reuben Monda over a domestic squabble.
Early, his lawyer Katwa Kigeni said their client had not been availed with crucial documents related to the impeachment motion and neither the copies of the public participation had been availed to him by the time he was called to defend himself.
According to Monda, the motion lacks sufficient grounds and particulars even as he described the charges as hazy.
Kigeni said no questions were formulated for public participation.
