Vihiga
By Wilson Abiri
- Ottichilo’s impeachment case starts tomorrow at Kakamega High Court
- Ottichilo wanted to bribe MCAs with Sh5000 to drop planned impeachment
- Ottichilo secured an injunction that stopped tabling of his impeachment motion
- Speaker Hasna Mudeizi has confirmed to be in receipt of the court orders
- 23 MCAs had appended signatures for his impeachment
Embattled Vihiga Governor Wilbur Ottichilo will start fighting for his political lifeline tomorrow at the Kakamega High Court after he secured an injunction stopping his impeachment.
The troubled Ottichilo went to the courts seeking political survival after it emerged that his bid to coerce the ward reps with pleasantries to drop the motion did not bore fruits.
“Ottichilo sent MCAs supporting his administration to us seeking audience with us but we declined. He wanted to take us to a five-day trip in Mombasa and use the bonding session to ‘forgive’ him but we refused since it will have been a waste of public resources,” claimed an MCA.
The MCA also alleged that the governor in a desperate move tried buying out the ward rep who initiated the collection of signatures seeking his removal but he also declined. “We can’t be bribed with Sh5000 and drop such an important assignment ahead of us,’.
In the court papers seen by County Splash, Ottichilo through Maobe Mukhwana and Company Advocates, listed Vihiga County Assembly speaker Hasna Mudeizi (first respondent), County Assembly of Vihiga (second respondent) and the assembly’s clerk.
Ottichilo in his affidavit said that he only learnt of his imminent impeachment through the social media that MCAs are moving a motion on March 3 for his removal and that he is not a party to the said motion and that he has neither been served nor informed of any charges against him as are in the materials circulating on social media platforms.
Already the ward reps had presented the impeachment motion before the floor of the house but Ottichilo secured an injunction and stopped the planned impeachment until his case is heard and determined.
He termed the acts by the respondents as malicious, ill thought out and in contravention and total disregard of the petitioner’s rights constitutional rights.
Assembly Speaker, Ms Mudeizi has acknowledged to be in receipt of the orders stopping Ottichilo’s impeachment.
Earlier,23 MCAs have signed a petition to remove him from abuse over abuse of power, tussle over pending bills with contractors and suppliers totaling to Sh1.8billion, delayed salaries, highhandedness and mismanagement of the county affairs.
Ends
