Embattled Deputy Governor William Oduol Denies All Charges

Siaya Deputy Governor William Oduol, who is facing impeachment charges, has refuted all four accusations leveled against him by the county assembly. The charges include gross violation of the constitution, abuse of office, gross misconduct, bullying, and dissemination of false information to the public. Oduol denied these charges during a hearing conducted by an 11-member ad-hoc committee of the Senate, which is investigating the impeachment allegations. His legal team, consisting of Paul Nyamodi, Moses Chelanga, and Patrick Baraza, represented him during the hearing.

The committee, chaired by Elgeyo Marakwet Senator William Kisang, heard the arguments presented by the county assembly, which was represented by lawyers Gordon Ogola, Willis Otieno, and Peter Wanyama. MCA Francis Otiato, who chaired the assembly’s ad-hoc committee that found Oduol guilty of the accusations, was also present during the proceedings. The committee has scheduled two days for the hearings, with the county assembly presenting its case against the Deputy Governor on Wednesday and Oduol defending himself on Thursday.

The specific allegations against Oduol include tampering with the procurement process through bid rigging, pressuring the head of the county procurement unit to provide incomplete evaluation reports and unsigned professional opinions. The charges also state that he unjustifiably modified tender document specifications for road construction projects and acted beyond the scope of the procurement laws.

Furthermore, Oduol is accused of exerting undue influence to renovate his office outside the approved budget, misusing public resources by allowing officers to attend irrelevant functions, and bullying the county director of supply chain management by threatening to create a hostile work environment. He is also accused of demanding regular briefings on procurement matters from the director, even though the director does not directly report to the deputy governor.

The hearings will continue for the designated two days, allowing both sides to present their arguments and evidence. The committee will then deliberate on the information presented before making a decision regarding the impeachment charges against Deputy Governor William Oduol.