Wajir governor Mohammed Abdi has found a temporary relief from losing his job.
A Meru court on May 18 gave orders baring deputy governor Ahmed Muktar from being sworn in to office.
The court stopped the take over until a case by five county residents, appealing on the Senate decision is heard and determined.
Justice Otieno certified the application by the residents as urgent, the Gazette notice of May 17 which sealed Abdi’s removal from office.
The judge bared the registrar of the high court from allocating a Judge to swear in Muktar as the governor.
An interparty hearing has been scheduled on June 3, with senate speaker Ken Lusaka and Wajir MCAs named as respondents.
However, by the time Justice Otieno was giving the orders, Ahmed Muktar had already been sworn in as the new governor in a ceremony at Wajir County headquarters.
Justice Said Chitembwe administered the oath of office to Muktar despite the governor being granted the order to stop the takeover.
“The ceremony shall take place on Tuesday at 10 am at Wajir county headquarters,” a gazette notice read on Tuesday.
On May 17, Senators overwhelmingly voted for the impeachment of governor Abdi on grounds of misuse of office.
The Wajir MCAs accused the governor of paralysing the County’s healthcare system by squandering funds allocated towards the fight of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Also, the MCAs said that Abdi had allowed his family members to run the affairs of the county, which is against the constitution.
At the Senate, the governor asked the members to be lenient on him, listing his development record in Wajir.
“Impeachment is in our laws. However, in my opinion, the impeachment before the house does not meet the threshold. What the committee has sad is that health was an issue that was impeachable but it cannot amount to gross violation of the Constitution,” he pleaded with the Senators.
