Meru MCAs wanted to bury me, Mwangaza says

Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has said that Members of the Meru County Assembly (MCAs) wanted to bury her if the songs they sang the day they impeached her are anything to go by.

While being cross-examined by her lawyer Elias Mutuma who played a video of MCAs singing before they went ahead to impeach her, Mwangaza told the Senate committee that the song in the Meru dialect is sang during burial ceremonies.

"That is a Kimeru traditional song that were meant to bury or to curse someone and that's why they were dressed in white and black ready to bury the same day," she said.

She said that the song further made reference to her husband, saying that the MCAs were saying that they have never seen a woman that is meant to cry by her husband.

Mwangaza said that her failure to appear before the MCAs was because she felt that they had already made a decision to impeach her and she would not be granted a fair hearing and that she followed advice from her legal team telling her that she would be in contempt of court since there was a court order barring her removal from office.

Mwangaza also said that the appointment of her husband Murega Baichu was not an act of nepotism because he was to serve as a patron for the youth in Meru county. His role was to give them moral and financial support, adding that he never drew a salary from the county.

On the issue of roadside declarations, Kawira said that the now famous video of her appointing firefighters in Timau was her calling on the youth in the area to work with the county since they understand the geographical area better.

She said that none has been employed, adopted or draws a salary from the County, adding that their role is to contact the County firefighters whenever tragedy strikes.

She also said that the appointment of watchmen is among the charges under the illegal appointments she is accused of making, she said that she was supposed to pay them in her capacity as the Okolea Program Director and not as Meru Governor.

She said that attempts by religious leaders in the county to reconcile her and the MCAs did not bear fruit despite her agreeing to two out of the three demands they had made to her.

Mwangaza says that the MCAs wanted her to cancel a rally that was to be held in Mitunguu, have the first gentleman not accompany her on official duties as well as release the Ward fund, she did the first two but decided not to heed the last call.

She said that MCAs refused to take the Sh10 million Ward Fund, instead demanding Sh30 million or Sh20 million, as had been allocated by the Peter Munya and Kiraitu Murungi administrations.

She added that her calls to the MCAs to discuss the fund and see how it could be anchored in law fell on deaf ears, which she believed also led to her impeachment.

Mwangaza denied vilifying the Catholic Church, Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi and current Agriculture Cabinet Secretary and former Meru Senator Mithika Linturi.

Responding to claims that had been made by the MCAs lawyer Muthomi Thainkoru, she denied that she is a modern-day Adolf Hitler.