Two years of hell for Mwangaza as MCAs in third bid to impeach her

Meru County Governor Kawira Mwangaza. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

When she defied all odds in 2022 to win the Meru governorship, many were waiting to see how Governor Kawira Mwangaza would transform the economic fortunes of the devolved unit.

Armed with a bible and a significant backing of supporters, the county chief was hopeful her journey at the helm of the county would be a smooth ride.

However, this has not been the case as she continues to battle several fires threatening to dim her leadership candle.

For the first two years, Mwangaza has not known peace as pockets of disgruntled MCAs and residents push for her impeachment.

She has survived two impeachment attempts in the last two years, but still, a third trial is hovering above her head and threatening to crumble her rule.

Not even her decision to join camps with President William Ruto's UDA party has calmed the storms her administration is facing.

Meru MCAs are bidding to fix her one more time in a third impeachment trial that kicked off on Wednesday.

Mwangaza said she would beat the impeachment because, once again it was based on false accusations, alleging her political opponents are having another go at her after failing previously.

“There is nowhere the governor is going, in the name of living Jesus Christ,” said a defiant Mwangaza.

Nominated MCA Zipporah Kinya (UDA), tabled a notice of the impeachment motion on Wednesday, with public participation forums set to start tomorrow.

It has been two years of hell for Mwangaza, a bishop at Baite Family Fellowship (BFF), and fate has for a third time thrown her to the survival pit as she clutches on the seat, and the quest for a third impeachment gathers momentum.

The MCAs’ determination to eject Mwangaza is telling, judging from pronouncements from the assembly.

“We should be done with the impeachment within 10 days, according to the standing orders. On Monday, there will be public participation between 10am and 1pm. The assembly’s email and the office of the clerk will be open to the public to submit written memoranda. On Thursday, we will move the motion,” Abogeta West MCA Dennis ‘DMK’ Kiogora said.

It is also telling that the impeachment motion was for the first time tabled by a woman, perhaps to show that they are not against Mwangaza because Meru is not ready to be led by a woman.

Mr Kiogora tabled the second impeachment of October 2023 which, like the first of November 2022, was overturned by the Senate.

Ms Kinya is seeking to have Governor Mwangaza ejected after she cited various grounds, including gross violations of various national and county laws, and abuse of office.

She accused Mwangaza of usurping the powers of the assembly, making appointments without the approval by MCAs and failing to make some appointments as the law requires.

Mwangaza, who was a Woman Representative between 2017-2022 before her historic win over sacked Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi and her predecessor Kiraitu Murungi, is once again pointing to her political opponents, whom she accuses of sponsoring the failed impeachment bids.

She accused the assembly leadership of allowing MCAs to be ‘misused’ for political expediency.

“Those behind the motion are people with the desire and ambition to become governor in 2027. They want to use those (MCAs) who are available to sabotage my work, so that they can get an opportunity. The other quarter is someone who wants me out so that they can become governor. The MCAs should be left to work for the people. The impeachment motion is based on lies,” Mwangaza said.

The governor says she has not done any wrong and is certain her impeachment cannot succeed on false accusations.

She said if it has to be done as MCAs are bent on sabotaging her, the county government should be dissolved as some nine residents have stated in a petition.

“I support 100 percent the petitioners who proposed the county to be dissolved and we seek a fresh mandate from the people. Because if we are not using the opportunity the people have given us to work for them and are wasting time to earn allowances and going on trips, we are wasting people’s time,” she said.

The hope is for the senate to get tired of Mwangaza always being brought before them. The MCAs are hoping the senate concedes saving her for a third time is a lost battle, because if they don’t send her home, the reps will do a fourth impeachment,” said Martin Kirimi, an analyst.

Gideon Kimathi, Mwangaza’s economic advisor who served as Mr Kiraitu’s Chief of Staff, dismissed the impending impeachment trial.

“It is purely political malice. They want to slow her down, others want to permanently bar her from contesting because they fear her ground presence. She will survive. I am calling upon the senate to raise the bar on impeachment to safeguard its misuse by county assemblies out of personal vendetta. The issues raised are trivial, and not linked to the governor at all," he said.

Like Mwangaza, Kimathi attributed Mwangaza’s troubles to those eyeing her seat and who want an easy ride.

“The Meru politicians should wait for 2027 and have voters decide at the ballot. If not let us suspend the county and have fresh elections in Meru, and I have no doubt governor Mwangaza will win,” added Kimathi.

Mbwiri Bursar, a political commentator from Central Imenti, said, “This (impeachment) is not political. How can the governor make the same mistakes and claim it is political? The biggest problem with the governor is that she was unable to unite Meru leaders”.

Mwangaza, elected as an independent woman representative and as governor, in April joined President Ruto’s UDA and was welcomed to the party by Secretary General Cleophas Malala.

On Friday, the party seemed to put a break on the plan when Malala wrote to Ms Kinya asking her to withdraw the motion, a letter copied to the speaker (Ayub Bundi), Majority Leader (Patrick Mutuma) and Chief Whip (Jim Muchui).

It said in part; “Our attention has been drawn to the impeachment motion against Governor Kawira Mwangaza dated July 17. Given the current socio-political climate across the country, it is imperative that we, as a party, demonstrate unity and strategic foresight. In light of these developments, UDA party requests you to withdraw the impeachment motion against the governor with immediate effect, in the interests of our party’s cohesion and stability.”

Kinya was directed to report to the party headquarters in Nairobi on July 21 “for preliminary discussions on the issue”.

Zippora Kinya, the mover of motion said in Malala's letter, "The leadership of UDA Meru county will meet and we give our position".

However, she remained adamant, insisting that the motion stands and that the public participation scheduled for Monday will proceed as planned. 

"Nothing is changing, I haven't withdrawn the motion, so public participation is on Monday," she said.