UPDATE: The Senate on Wednesday, January 29, shortly after 9 p.m. voted to impeach Ferdinand Waititu as the Governor of Kiambu with only 12 Senators voting to save him. His impeachment was swiftly gazetted the same day.
Embattled Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu on Wednesday, January 29, declared his interest in becoming a Senator as he defended himself in the Senate during his impeachment hearing.
Advising senators before they voted on whether to impeach him over alleged corruption and abuse of office, Waititu told them to remain impartial as Kenyans were looking up to them.
"Like me, I thought that when I am through with Kiambu I'd become a senator. Honestly speaking, I know I'll contest and I know I can get. Yes, I'll be a Senator one day," Waititu asserted.
Before running for the Governor's seat in 2017, Waititu was a Member of Parliament representing Kabete Constituency.
A determined Waititu vehemently objected to claims that he was corrupt, reiterating that he had worked hard to improve the standards of life for Kiambu residents.
He blamed a propaganda campaign for the allegations against him as he called for the impeachment trial to serve as 'a lesson for Kiambu'.
"Propagandists in this country must be discarded. I'm hearing about zero tolerance on corruption. I have not been convicted. I'm still innocent until proven guilty...
"This case of mine is supposed to be thrown away by the Senate and I urge you to do what you would want to be done to you under these circumstances," Waititu reiterated.
Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka called for a 15-minute break immediately after Waititu's spirited defence.
He disclosed that the Senate would return for a closed session after which they would vote to seal Waititu's fate.
If the Senate votes against Waititu, he would become the second governor to be impeached after Embu Governor Martin Wambora.
Wambora was, however, reinstated by the High Court in 2014 with the judges stating that “had the Senate investigated Wambora's case, it would discover it was done in violation of the court order in the County Assembly.”
Watch a video of Waititu's declaration below courtesy of Citizen TV:
