Resign Or Be Impeached: Governor Susan Kihika Told

Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika now finds herself in a tight spot after Senator Tabitha Karanja demanded that either the county boss resigns or face impeachment. This is following a controversy that culminated in her six-month civil jail sentence.

Speaking on Wednesday, February 19, the Senator hit out at Governor Kihika's continued absence from office, stating that it was hurting Nakuru residents and leaving them directionless.

Karanja even went ahead to compare Nakuru to other counties, emphasizing that the county governors ensured that their deputies were present to oversee operations in the devolved units, in the event they were not ever-present.

Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja during a past address. /FILE

“We have been hearing that the County is being run by a County Secretary but we did not elect him, we elected the Governor and Deputy Governor. Where is our governor? We have not seen her since late last year, and we are suffering because the leadership of Susan Kihika has failed,” Karanja said.  

“If you go to the other 46 counties in Kenya, you will not hear that the governor is not available even for a week. And in case they are not available, they are represented by their deputies, not county secretaries. The county secretary has nothing to lose; we did not elect him—he was appointed by the governor."

Slamming Kihika's government, Karanja urged Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) to initiate impeachment proceedings against her if she failed to heed the Senator's resignation call.

“Kihika should resign. If she is not resigning, the MCAs should impeach her, and if they don’t impeach her, I’m going to take a vote of no confidence on the floor of the Senate,” she warned.

On Tuesday, Karanja pointed an accusing finger at Kihika, lamenting that "She has failed in her leadership of Nakuru County. That one I can tell her for free."

"There is no way we can keep having people living with disabilities protesting because their children's bodies are missing from morgues. We have a young man who was taken by KWS at Lake Nakuru and is still missing," she added.

In addition to the two tragic incidents, Karanja emphasized the seriousness of the crime for which Kihika was convicted—illegally disposing of waste into Lake Nakuru.

Her main concern about the offence was its far-reaching impact, not only on Nakuru County residents who depend on the lake for various activities but also on the county’s tourism sector, where the lake plays a significant role.

Kihika alongside Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services Company (NAWASCO) Managing Director James Ng’ang’a was ordered to serve a six-month civil jail term or pay a fine of Ksh2 million by the High Court after they were found guilty of contempt for illegally disposing of waste into Lake Nakuru.

The ruling followed a lawsuit filed at the Environment and Lands Court, in which Baboon Project Kenya accused Kihika and Ng’ang’a of disregarding a September 26, 2024, order that permanently prohibited further waste disposal into the lake.