Senate upholds Governor Kawira Mwangaza's impeachment

When embattled Meru County Governor Kawira Mwangaza was consoled by her husband Murega Baichu after she survived her second impeachment by the Senate on November 8, 2023, at the Parliament buildings, Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] Embattled Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has been impeached. This is after 26 senators voted to send her home after upholding her impeachment by the Meru County Assembly. Mwangaza was found guilty of all three charges against her in a vote marred with some Senators abstaining in protest after 26 senators upheld MCAs' ouster motion with four voting no and 14 abstaining. Senate Speaker Amason Kingi said that the Senate had accordingly voted to remove from office Governor Mwangaza and accordingly she ceased holding office paving the way for the swearing into office her Deputy Governor Isaac Mutuma as the fourth Meru Governor. The drama was witnessed as Senators sought to contribute to the impeachment process with 31 Senators voting in support of a debate before voting while 9 Senators voted against it but after a shouting match ensued Senate Speaker Amason Kingi asked members to vote without debate. In the first count in which Mwangaza faced accusations of gross violation of the Constitution of Kenya, 26 Senators voted in support of the accusation while 4 senators voted against it while 14 Senators mostly allied to Azimio la Umoja coalition abstained from voting. In the second count of gross violation of various national and county laws, 26 Senators voted in support while 2 Senators voted against while 14 abstained from voting. In the abuse of office charge, 27 Senators voted in support, one senator voted against it while 14 again abstained from voting. Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot moved the motion seeking for the impeachment of Governor Kawira asking senators to make the best decision in the interest of the people of Meru County with the motion seconded by Laikipia Senator John Kinyua. Kawira has the option to move to court seeking to overturn the decision by the Senate just like her predecessors former Embu Governor Martin Wambora and former Wajir Governor Mahmoud Abdi. Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka criticised their colleagues from Kenya Kwanza Alliance for stifling debate before voting saying that most Senators wanted the law to follow in this matter by having them debate the merits and demerits of each of the three accusations before they took a vote. "Most of the Senators who voted out Governor Kawira Mwangaza were from the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, most of the Senators from Azimio La Umoja Coalition abstained from voting since we wanted the law to be followed, that is why we wanted a debate before voting takes place," said Onyonka. Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba was thrown out of the house by Speaker Kingi as she protested the failure to allow debate before voting, terming the Senate as the house of the big boys arguing that there were no grounds for Kawira's impeachment. Orwoba said it was only a few political leaders who were upset that the Governor is a woman and were determined to fight her at all cost as witnessed in the three impeachments that have been brought before the Senate but with very little substance to warrant an impeachment. "We live to fight another day, the way my colleague indicated on his Facebook page 'wanafanya kufinish kumalo', it is a house of the big boys, patriarchy, there were no grounds for the impeachment of Governor Mwangaza because only a few big boys are upset that the governor is female," said Orwoba. Mwangaza in her submissions blamed the Senate Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi for being behind her political woes despite several efforts she had made to seek reconciliation with him stating that he wanted to be Governor in 2027. She told the Senate that she had written a letter to the Senate Devolution Committee to visit Meru County for reconciliation purposes with allies of the Meru Senator openly saying that the committee will only visit the county once he gives a green light for that to happen. Mwangaza who was facing a third impeachment motion told the Senate that immediately after the second impeachment motion was dismissed she went around the county seeking forgiveness from anybody that she might have wronged in the performance of her duties. "Immediately after the second impeachment was dismissed I went around Meru County seeking forgiveness from anyone that I may have wronged, I have met with Members of Parliament and Members of County Assembly except the Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi," said Kawira. She denied buying the loyalty of Members of County Assembly stating that she called Mitunguu MCA Evans Mawira who is the former Majority Leader and the mover of the second impeachment motion against her and they had a reconciliation after she explained herself. The governor said that her husband Murega Baichu has never attended any county functions so as to make sure that MCAs are comfortable around her after the issue of him being in various county events came up as one of the key reasons for her first impeachment. Mwangaza further denied committing any of the accusations levelled against her by the county assembly stating that after the last impeachment process, she went back and did away with all illegal appointments in the county as instructed by the Senate. She denied buying the loyalty of Members of County Assembly stating that she called Mitunguu MCA Evans Mawira who is the former Majority Leader and the mover of the second impeachment motion against her and they had a reconciliation after she explained herself. The governor said that her husband Murega Baichu has never attended any county functions so as to make sure that MCAs are comfortable around her after the issue of him being in various county events came up as one of the key reasons for her first impeachment. Mwangaza denied committing any of the accusations levelled against her by the county assembly stating that after the last impeachment process, she went back and did away with all illegal appointments in the county as instructed by the Senate. She denied forging any signatures as alleged by her former legal advisor Linda Kiome telling the Senate that she acted according to the legal advice given to her in revoking the appointment of Virginia Miriti as the Secretary of the County Public Service Board Mwangaza told the Senate that the county assembly has never given a reply to her seeking the approval of appointment of Chairpersons of various County Boards and denied the accusations that she has refused to make appointments as it is being alleged by the assembly. She admitted saying that Sh86 million had been raised for late blogger Daniel Muthiani since there was a lot of money raised and that MCAs were accusing her of being one of the killers and that she had to address the media to clear her name and look for assistance for his family. "I have never thought of killing anyone, I believe the family of the late blogger Daniel Muthiani will get justice despite political leaders in Meru going around the county linking me to the death which I know nothing about, the only utterances I made were about the money collected," said Kawira. Mwangaza denied employing a bloated workforce in her administration and that a similar charge was brought against her during the last impeachment process last November and she was cleared of any wrongdoing.

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Senate upholds Governor Kawira Mwangaza's impeachment

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