Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru declines request to testify at her impeachment trial

Waiguru declines request to testify at her impeachment trial

Tony Mukere

June 24, 2020 10:19 AM

Heated exchange between lawyers representing Waiguru and those acting for MCAs

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru declines request to testify at her impeachment trial

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru on Wednesday declined a request to take the stand and testify at the Senate where she is facing an impeachment trial.

The Governor's lawyers said they would oppose the Kirinyaga County Assembly's request that Waiguru testifies under oath regarding her travel since being elected Kirinyaga Governor.

The Assembly, through lawyer Ndegwa Njiru, said the Governor's testimony would help their case as the copies of her passports were ineligible to discern her movements.

"The copies produced by the Governor are ineligible and opaque. They are deliberately mutilated to hide the movement and unless an original copy is provided, we will make an application to call the Governor to take the stand and testify on her travel," Njiru said.

"The application by the Assembly is vexatious. The documents in question were not filed in support of the Assembly's case but were filed by the Governor in response to the Assembly. If they feel they are not legible, they can perhaps nominate a photocopier."

"As to who testifies for us, it is not his call. He had his chance to summon witnesses and he summoned them as per the rules. He then cannot ask to summon the Governor to the stand. Whoever will testify today is the choice of the Governor and she will not testify here," Waiguru's lawyer Paul Nyamodi said.

The Senate committee will later make a ruling on whether it will compel Governor Waiguru to testify on her international travel after being elected in 2017.

Tony Mukere