The positions held by the Meru County First Gentleman do not exist, the Senate Special Committee has said.

In a report tabled on Friday by the Committee chair Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, the positions are non-existent in the structure of the county government.

The Committee had been appointed to investigate the impeachment of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza by the County MCAs.

"Evidence adduced before the Committee demonstrated that the positions the First Gentleman is alleged to have been appointed to are non-existent and ordinarily an appointment cannot be made to a non-existent position in the public service," the report said.

This means that the accusations made by Meru MCAs to Governor Kawira Mwangaza on the appointment of her husband to public office do not hold.

Murega Baichu was appointed as the Patron of Youth in Meru and Meru Hustlers Ambassador.

Overall, the assembly members had accused Mwangaza of gross misconduct and violation of the County Government Act.

The particulars included the accusation that she disregarded the criteria for the establishment of offices within the County Public Service and failed to submit her husband’s name for approval by the assembly before making the appointments.

In the report, the Senate Panel acknowledged that Baichu is not on the county payroll, saying his appointment is not one of a public office.

The report quoted Article 260 of the Constitution on the definition of a public office.

"An office in the national government, a county government or the public service, if the remuneration and benefits of the office are payable directly from the Consolidated Fund or directly out of money provided by Parliament," the committee said.

"In any event, no evidence was submitted to prove any of the alleged county office appointments by the governor."

Mwangaza was impeached on December 14.

On Friday, the panel dismissed the impeachment on grounds of lack of enough evidence to hold the allegations. - SHARON MWENDE, The Star