Will Kawira Mwangaza be lucky for third time in Senate after latest ouster?

When 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. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The troubles of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza have deepened after MCAs impeached her for the third time in under two years.

This is after 49 MCAs out of 69 Ward Reps endorsed a motion by Nominated MCA Zipporah Kinyan to send her packing.

The move sets the stage for another battle for survival at the Senate and potentially in the courts.

Governor Mwangaza’s impeachment yesterday marked the third successful impeachment by the Assembly after the Meru High Court stopped two impeachment motions.

In the motion, Kinya sought to have Mwangaza sent home for alleged gross violation of the Constitution and various national and county laws and abuse of office.

Abogeta West MCA Dennis Kiogora said MCAs spent Wednesday night in the Assembly.

“We slept on the floor of this Assembly. The people of Meru should know that,” Kiogora, who sponsored a previous impeachment motion, said.

There was heavy police presence at the Assembly and its environs as tensions flared ahead of the debate.

There was a brief scuffle with security officers as a section of MCAs allied to Mwangaza made their entrance, with the reps accusing the County Assembly of discriminating against them.

Speaker Ayub Bundi ruled that despite a pending court case touching on the impeachment, the motion was before the Assembly legally.

He said he had written to the Governor to appear before the Assembly to defend herself.

“Her Excellency is yet to heed the invitation,” he said. Bundi, a former Abothoguchi Central MCA who served both as Majority and Minority leader, said the Assembly had conducted business legally.

He said out of the 69 MCAs, 49 had signed the impeachment motion, thus meeting the one third threshold needed for such a motion.

To support the charge of gross misconduct against Mwangaza, Kinya alleged the county boss misled the public that Sh86 million had been raised through the Paybill number 247247 Account Number 0400163917899 established after the murder of Danile Muthiani, alias Sniper, while the correct position is that only Sh286,516 was raised.

Muthiani was a popular blogger who was abducted in Meru in December last year and his body later found in neighbouring Tharaka Nithi.

Mwangaza was also accused of illegal appointments and sackings and usurping the Assembly’s functions, including allegedly revoking the appointment of County Public Service Board CEO Virginia Miriti.

Mwangaza also faced a charge of failing to appoint heads for Meru County Development and Investment Corporation and Meru Microfinance Corporation.

Deputy Speaker Mwenda Ali said Mwangaza had not adhered to recommendations of staffing as she had employed excess staff in her office.

“For there to be fairness and to end impunity Mwangaza must go,” said Mwenda.

The 17 MCAs who supported Mwangaza defended her, with Kibirichia MCA Jacob Mwirigi, Joshua Mithiaru (Naathu), Ruth Kananu and Kennedy Maingi (Nominated) questioning the validity of the motion.

Mwirigi said none of the counts holds water.

“There was no qualitative and quantitative public participation. It is ridiculous,” he said.

Kananu accused the Assembly of sabotaging development.

“They (MCAs) are the people who have sabotaged development in this county, not the Governor,” she said.

Mithiaru alleged the impeachment was sponsored by people who want to get rid of Mwangaza and install their proxies.