By Guest Writer
It is in public domain that the dust is yet to settle days after Dr Robert Monda was ousted as Kisii Governor. Dr Monda, who had been impeached by the Kisii County Assembly, had his fate sealed by the Senate, which overwhelmingly voted to send him packing.
The veterinary doctor and former Nyaribari Chache MP had gone to the Senate hoping that the Senators would salvage his job, only to lose it. There had been speculation that national politics would play out during the case but this never came to pass. Senators from both sides of the political divide were unanimous that he had committed offences including corruption and abuse of office.
For two straight days, the Senate had long sessions that ran late into the night. Kenyans were treated into a theatre of shocking claims by witnesses and defendants in the case alike. It appears that in the end, based on their comments before the vote, Senators were convinced beyond any doubt that Dr Monda was expected to be as far as possible from the office of Deputy Governor of Kisii.
It startled most Kenyans that some of the witnesses against Dr Monda were his blood relatives. It also shocked Kenyans when two witnesses, a son and father, stood on opposite sides of the case and delivered testimonies that were totally at variance to each other. In their considered opinion, the son, who testified against Dr Monda, had been disowned by his father. This was the longest that betrayal would stretch, the Senators felt.
Tears were poured in the Senate. Emotions ran high. People sweated. They breathed heavily as they faced accusations and counter-accusations. In In barely 48 hours, Dr Monda who had walked into the Senate with his job hanging in the balance came out jobless.
Social media platforms including WhatsApp groups, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) and even YouTube have been awash with feedback regarding the matter. The same is likely to continue for some days as eyes stay riveted in Kisii. With reports that Dr Monda would be exploring a court option, his former boss, Simba Arati will be seeking to replace him with someone else. Only time will tell how this ends.
The whole matter has had me thinking and deeply so. Is the Senate very sure that it made the right decision based on the testimonies of witnesses before them? Did they take more time to investigate those claims? Who told the Senate that people who lift the Bible and swear can automatically say the truth and nothing but the truth? Is the impeachment session sufficient for one to make the right decision? What if they come to learn much later that they did not make the right decision? Will they have a chance to undo it? These are some of the questions that have been invading my mind.
I am not in the business of defending Dr Monda. In any case, this is not the right platform and I do not form the composition of his legal team. My concern is that there is need for the country to relook into the impeachment process. After those testimonies and responses in the Senate, Senators should have some five days or so to carry out further investigations to establish the authenticity of the accusations. This will eliminate the risk of the Senate making decisions that may not be in the best interest of justice.
The author is a regular reader of Tidal Wave News
