Reprieve for governor Granton Samboja as court halts his impeachment

The High Court of Kenya has temporarily suspended the decision by Taita Taveta MCAs to impeach Governor Granton Samboja.

This is after the Governor moved to the corridors of justice to challenge the decision that definitely threatened his tenure as the county chief.

Justice James Makau issued a conservatory order on Friday thus barring the county speaker from writing to the Senate the resolution committee to recommend the ouster of the governor.

On Wednesday, 30 MCAs voted in support of Samboja’s impeachment over alleged gross misconduct.

In recent times, the two levels of county leadership have had standoff over budget allocations with the governor threatening to petition the president to dissolve the Taita Taveta county government.

Despite several mediation talks, the county chief and his assembly have failed to reconcile with the implementation of the 2019/2020 budget halted.

In August 2019, the county assembly allocated Sh833 million for Ward development and slashed the executive allocations.

Disappointed by the move, Governor Samboja declined to append his signature to the budget proposals sparking a bitter relationship between him and the assembly.

Efforts to have the two parties reconcile have turned fruitless with the county Chief remaining adamant.

Through the county director of communications, the Governor reiterated that he will not have a dialogue with the MCAs and embarked on a mission to obtain 50,000 signatures in a bid to dissolve the county government.

“The governor has not changed his earlier stand in the ongoing stalemate and there is no room for dialogue with the legislative arm,” said Onsarigo.

The county Senator Johnes Mwaruma and local MPs Danson Mwashako, Andrew Mwadime and Jones Mlolwa gave a nod to Samboja’s move to dissolve the assembly while Woman Representative Lydia Haika and Taveta MP Naomi Shaban supported the MCAs move.

Efforts by the Deputy President William Ruto, ODM leader Raila Odinga and even Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka to seal a deal between the conflicting parties turned a pipe dream.