On Thursday, August 22, the newspapers extensively revised the events around the impeachment of the embattled Meru governor Kawira Mwangaza, with details emerging that State House Nairobi had a hand in the machinations against the county boss.
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Elsewhere, Kenya's opposition leader, Raila Odinga, announced ditching the local politics to focus on his bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson post.
1. Daily Nation
The daily established that President William Ruto had an indirect contribution to the unceremonious impeachment of the embattled Meru governor Kawira Mwangaza.
It emerges that both Mwangaza's camp and her critics sought the president's intervention; Ruto reportedly acceded to the latter's requests.
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The governor's critics, who are politicians in Meru, reportedly called on Ruto on Monday, August 19, and pleaded with him to steer clear of the matter.
Later, female governors reached out to the president to sanction the Kenya Kwanza senators against advancing the ouster; but Ruto proved his non-commitment to their pleas.
After winning Ruto's support, the governor's detractors charged a senator influential in the Upper House to lobby his colleagues to uphold the impeachment.
"We were informed that people from State House made calls. UDA senators were told to ensure Mwangaza is removed as governor. MPs are not independent, Kenya is cooked," Daily Nation quoted Kisii senator Richard Onyonka.
Azimio senators opted to withdraw from voting, citing their colleagues had been compromised and shelved the weight of the charges against Mwangaza.
They said the accusations against the county boss were not weighty enough to warrant her ouster.
"It was the UDA side that sent her home. Like many, I believe the charges were not high crimes and misdemeanours," said Onyonka.
"Azimio refused to be drawn into petty political wars that violate the constitution and the rule of law," said Homa Bay senator Moses Kajwang'.
A section of Kenya Kwanza senators, however, denied the allegations, saying they voted in their individual capacities without outsider influence.
2. The Standard
The publication reported on the relief Mwangaza got from the High Court in Nairobi after she moved to challenge her impeachment.
Justice Bahati Mwamuye on Wednesday, August 21, suspended the Senate's resolution to impeach the county boss.
The Senate plenary had voted late Tuesday, August 20, to uphold her removal from office.
The court suspended the Senate resolution until the case is heard and determined.
Mwamuye further restrained Senate Speaker Amason Kingi from gazetting Mwangaza's impeachment.
The case was later slated for mention on September 17.
The embattled county chief executive was impeached on August 8 when 49 out of 69 MCAs voted to oust her from office.
Mwangaza faced accusations of abuse of office, gross misconduct, and violation of the Constitution.
On the gross violation of the Constitution, 26 senators voted against the governor, with four of them striving to save her.
On gross misconduct, 26 senators voted to send Mwangaza home, two in her favour and 14 abstaining.
Twenty-seven senators found the governor guilty of abuse of office, with one senator voting against the charge and 14 abstaining.
3. Taifa Leo
The newspaper spared a page for Raila Odinga's resolution to ditch the local politics to focus on his AUC chairperson bid.
The veteran politician seeks to succeed Moussa Faki, the outgoing chairperson.
A vote for the continental post will be taken in February next year; Raila has embarked on a campaign to court support from the African heads of state who constitute the General Assembly that votes.
Raila announced on Wednesday, August 21, that he would be shifting his focus away from the Kenyan matters.
"You know that I am going to begin to work for the continent once I am elected and that is going to be in February next year. At the moment, I am involved in the campaign, but that doesn't mean Kenya ceases to exist. I am not going to be very active in Kenyan politics henceforth as I continue now to focus on the continental campaign. But it is a transitional phase from active Kenyan politics moving towards African continental politics," he said.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi revealed that President William Ruto would formally launch Raila's bid as the AUC chairperson race begins to enter the fever pitch.
Mudavadi mentioned that the African Union's legal counsel's office had already received a formal application from the government, which was sent by Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing'oei.
Already backing Raila are Kenya's Ruto, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Samia Suluhu (Tanzania), Felix Tshisekedi (Democratic Republic of Congo), Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, South Sudan's Salva Kir, and Rwanda's Paul Kagame.
Other countries whose presidents declared their support for Raila are Angola, Ghana and Guinea Bissau.
The Kenyan candidate will need support either by consensus or at least a two-thirds majority vote by member states represented by their heads.
4. The Star
The Star reported on the uncertainties around school reopening next week.
Learning across the country is set to resume for the third term on Monday, August 26.
Teachers' unions threatened to honour their strike notice due to the government's supposed non-commitment to address their grievances.
On Wednesday, August 21, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the educators' representatives met to settle the stalemate that would jeopardise efforts to avert the looming crisis.
The unions did not accept the government's offer to honour only one of the six major demands.
The TSC committed to avail funds to facilitate the implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which the unions had earlier said did not have monetary gains for teachers.
Other demands by teachers include the remittance of loans and NSSF contributions, the promotion of over 100,000 teachers and the release of benefits entitled to the educators.
Despite the hard stance of the teachers, the employer announced to commit to reviewing the career progression guidelines of teachers, remittance of third-party deductions, enabling teachers to access both public and private hospitals under the Teachers Medical Scheme, provision of resources for retooling of teachers for the implementation of CBC and promoting 51,232 teachers under competitive promotions and a further 20,000 annually on common cadre.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, current affairs journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
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