Kenya’s senate has impeached Ferdinard Waititu, governor of Kiambu county, claims a 29 January 2020 article published on the site Breaking News and shared on Facebook.
“The Senate has impeached Kiambu Governor Ferdinard Waititu from office after the majority of Senators voted to remove him on three charges,” it reads.
The charges, it says, are “gross violation of the Constitution and Public Finance Management Act, Crimes under the National law and gross misconduct/abuse of office”.
But the news was flagged as possibly false by Facebook’s fact-checking system.
Has Kenya’s senate really removed Waititu from office?
The senate’s 29 January order paper, its daily timetable, shows that discussing and voting on the governor’s impeachment was part of its business for the day.
And a tweet on the senate’s official Twitter account, also dated 29 January, reads: “Having heard the presentation of the case by the County Assembly Tuesday afternoon, the Senate will this morning hear the case as presented by the Governor before proceeding to vote on each of the charges in the afternoon
Then, on 30 January, senate Speaker Ken Lusaka tweeted: “The Senate has resolved to remove from office by impeachment the Governor of Kiambu County and accordingly the Governor ceases to hold office.”
Yes, the article is correct. Kenya’s senate has impeached governor Waititu. – Grace Gichuhi
“The Senate has impeached Kiambu Governor Ferdinard Waititu from office after the majority of Senators voted to remove him on three charges,” it reads.
The charges, it says, are “gross violation of the Constitution and Public Finance Management Act, Crimes under the National law and gross misconduct/abuse of office”.
But the news was flagged as possibly false by Facebook’s fact-checking system.
Has Kenya’s senate really removed Waititu from office?
‘Governor ceases to hold office’
The senate’s 29 January order paper, its daily timetable, shows that discussing and voting on the governor’s impeachment was part of its business for the day.
And a tweet on the senate’s official Twitter account, also dated 29 January, reads: “Having heard the presentation of the case by the County Assembly Tuesday afternoon, the Senate will this morning hear the case as presented by the Governor before proceeding to vote on each of the charges in the afternoon
Then, on 30 January, senate Speaker Ken Lusaka tweeted: “The Senate has resolved to remove from office by impeachment the Governor of Kiambu County and accordingly the Governor ceases to hold office.”
Yes, the article is correct. Kenya’s senate has impeached governor Waititu. – Grace Gichuhi
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Further Reading
[email protected]: The challenges of working across Africa
Misinformation knows no borders and Africa Check often responds to similar false claims from country to country.
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