I have not seen my deputy for over a year, Mwangaza says

Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza. [File, Standard]

Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has said she has not seen Deputy Governor Isaac Mutuma for over a year, which raises questions as to whether he is serving the people who voted for them to run the county.

Mwangaza and the DG fell out during the impeachment proceedings at the Meru Assembly after she alleged that he was working with her political enemies to sabotage her.

Yesterday, Mwangaza said she had not met Mutuma and that he was no longer attending Cabinet meetings, where important matters affecting the county are deliberated.

County Secretary Kiambi Atheru said that despite sending Mutuma notifications about the meetings, he had not been attending them.

“For the last year and a half, he has not been on duty but has been earning a full salary and using a county government vehicle. I have been looking for him to assign him duties, but in vain,” Mwangaza said.

In a letter dated December 2, Atheru said that Mwangaza and the rest of the Cabinet were concerned about his continued absence.

He stated that the Cabinet had held 12 meetings between November 2023 and November 16, 2024, with Mutuma failing to show up.

“You have not attended any of these meetings so far,” read part of the letter from Atheru.

“These meetings are critical for the running of this county. Thus, your continued absence is becoming a matter of concern to the chair (Governor) and the entire committee. Kindly make arrangements to attend the next one. An invitation letter will be sent to you as usual.”

Barely a year after their famous victory over the two political titans, Kiraitu Murungi and Mithika Linturi, during the 2022 elections, Mwangaza and Mutuma have been on a collision course.

At the heart of their dispute were claims of nepotism, sabotage, and exclusion.

Mutuma earlier claimed that the Governor was no longer inviting him to Executive Committee meetings and that his official vehicles had been confiscated.

He alleged he was being undermined and that some of his staff had been sacked.

Mwangaza dismissed those claims, saying that the staff Mutuma claimed were fired had been let go due to a lack of academic qualifications. The Governor and other officials also said that some of the employees in Mutuma’s office were his family members.

Mutuma had previously told The Standard that his first official vehicle was confiscated and handed over to the Department of Water, while his second was given to the Governor’s political advisor.

He said he had been excluded from crucial functions.

“I have not been invited to Cabinet meetings since May,” he said, adding that he was being completely isolated.

He added that he was never recognised at events where the Governor issued briefs on matters affecting the county.

“I have been denied funds needed to run the Office of the Deputy Governor,” he said, adding that he was never consulted on the appointment of executives, chief officers, and directors.

Mutuma defended the fact that some of his staff were close to him, saying the law allows one to have people they can trust.

“The law allows one to have people (employees) you can trust, even for security purposes.

‘‘Even the governor has people she trusts working with her,” he said.

However, Mwangaza produced a letter from the County Public Service Board approving the dismissal of Mutuma’s staff.

“We sacked staff with fake degrees,” she said.

The Board’s acting Secretary/CEO, Virginia Kawira, said they undertook a verification process to check the authenticity of academic and professional credentials of all the appointees in the Governor’s office.

Virginia said some staff were found to have fake degrees.

Not long ago, Mwangaza’s senior staff, including County Secretary Kiambi Atheru and Chief of Staff Harrison Gitonga, dismissed Mutuma’s claims of exclusion.

“If you feel the government is not accommodating you well and you are being restricted, you might as well get out,” Mwangaza said recently.

had said said cation of his office which were moved from building accommodation the Governor, even as he stated that he continued to be sidelined in county affairs. 

But speaking separately when she issued pipes worth Sh5m for community water projects in Central Imenti Sub County and opened sanitation facilities at Gitimbine Mwangaza said she was focused on delivering her develop projects, and whoever who felt dissatisfied might as well move out. 

“Whoever who is not satisfied can get out. If you feel the government is not accommodating you well and you are restricted and cannot participate in development you might as well get out,” Mwangaza said.