Why Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza was impeached, again
The Meru County Assembly members have again voted in favor of impeaching Governor Kawira Mwangaza.
All 59 MCAs present in the Assembly voted in favor of the motion held on October, 25, 2023.
”It is now my pleasure to announce at this juncture, the ayes have it and the motion is passed and the Governor stands impeached by the County Assembly of Meru,” said the assembly speaker.
The impeachment follows MCAs’ completion of mandatory public participation hearings in nine sub-counties on Monday.
Governor Kawira faced accusations on seven counts, which included:
Misappropriation of county funds, infringing upon the law and the Constitution, bullying, contempt of court, gross misconduct, and naming a public road after her husband without adhering to the prescribed procedures.
Kawira Mwangaza also faced allegations of nepotism including the employment of her relatives and was also accused of taking her family members on international trips, misrepresenting them as experts.
Kawira was not in the house.
Ms Kawira has had a bumpy ride since her election, in which she defeated bigwigs Kiraitu Murungi and Mithika Linturi to surp[risingly bag the top county seat.
She has consistently faced rebellion from the Members of County Assembly over policy matters. She recently was temporarily detained after fracas erupted at one of her functions.
Lawyer Dunstan Omari made an attempt to defend Governor Mwangaza against the accusations directed at her. Omari contended that the allegations of nepotism within her office were without merit.
This marks the second occasion when the challenged Meru Governor has faced removal, having previously survived a similar impeachment in December 2022, which was ultimately rejected by the Senate.
The county boss will now face the Senate, the final step of an impeachment process, in a bid to either survive his removal or be handed a second chance.
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