Senate committee approves Bill protecting Governors from early impeachment
By setting clear rules, timelines, and communication requirements, the Bill seeks to protect county officials from politically motivated impeachments while maintaining accountability and citizen oversight.
Governors are set to be shielded against early removal after the Senate committee approved a Bill aimed at regulating the impeachment of county leaders.
The legislation introduces clear timelines, strengthens transparency, and provides a structured legal framework for the ouster of county state officers.
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The County Governments (State Officers’ Removal from Office) Procedure Bill, 2024, has been cleared by the Senate Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee, chaired by Hillary Sigei.
The committee presented its report last week, following extensive consultations with the public and stakeholders to ensure that removal processes are fair, consistent, and legally robust.
Sponsored by Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa, the Bill targets governors, deputy governors, county executives, county secretaries, and speakers of county assemblies.
According to the Bill, “This Bill is necessitated by the lack of a comprehensive statutory framework for the removal from office of the said four categories of county state officers.”
The senators argue that the current County Governments Act, 2012, provides only general guidance that does not adequately protect officers or ensure consistency in the impeachment process.
Under the new framework, a county governor cannot face impeachment within the first six months of assuming office. Additionally, a failed motion cannot be reintroduced for 90 days.
“A motion by a county assembly for the removal of the county governor by impeachment may only be reintroduced in the county assembly on the expiry of 90 days from the date of a vote by the Senate,” the Bill reads.
The law, however, allows motions based on new allegations, even if previous proceedings have already occurred.
To promote openness, the Bill requires assemblies to widely publicise any intended impeachment through newspapers, county media outlets, and online platforms.
“This amendment will ensure compliance with Article 118 of the constitution on public participation,” the report says.
Governors will also have the right to submit written responses to impeachment motions, while assemblies may continue proceedings even if a governor does not attend.
The legislation further shields governors from repeated legal actions once a Senate committee has dismissed claims as unsubstantiated.
By setting clear rules, timelines, and communication requirements, the Bill seeks to protect county officials from politically motivated impeachments while maintaining accountability and citizen oversight.
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