Mwangaza blames MPs for her woes as impeachment looms

Mwangaza implored MCAs not to heed her political opponents.

In putting up a case for herself, Mwangaza said she is delivering on her mandate but some opponents are bent on sabotaging her development agenda, because they are eyeing her seat.

She wondered why MCAs want to impeach her for a second time yet she had not done anything wrong, and was delivering on her election pledges within the law.

"Meru will not be held hostage by a 10-member cartel who think Meru has a problem. The 10 leaders who draw a salary of 500,000 and above cannot claim there is a problem whereas we know they are pushing their own interests," Mwangaza said recently.

In addition to accusing Mwangaza of being a lone ranger the 10 MPs did not take it kindly her reference to them as "cartel".

Various political parties in the assembly have met to sign the impeachment. Majority Leader Evans Mawira who chaired a session of MCAs affiliated to Kenya Kwanza said only one MCA was yet to sign.

"All (have signed) apart from one who is out of the country," Mawira (Mitunguu-UDA) said.

Mwangaza blames the MPs for her troubles, saying she was working well with MCAs who are the ones supposed to oversight her administration.

She wondered why Meru's first governor Peter Munya and her predecessor Kiraitu Murungi were never impeached, yet they had rifts with MCAs and Meru MPs.

"Apart from Hon Kiringo (then Igembe Central MP) and Hon Kirima (Central Imenti MP) all the other MPs did not see eye to eye with Munya. He (Munya) became a CS and during his five-year stint he never attended the same meeting with Hon Kiraitu in Meru County. Kiraitu mastered the art of bringing MCAs together and completed his term despite opposition from those sponsored by Munya," she said.

She said those bent on crippling her administration should bear in mind she won "fair and square" and it is for the people to judge her performance.

Mwangaza claims her first impeachment was politically motivated and that's why Senate absolved her.

She said she was focused on her economic agenda, and that the constitution had no clause that dictated that she must work with saboteurs.

"Why is it that the other two former governors (Munya and Kiraitu) never faced impeachment even though they never got along with the MPs? Is it mandatory for the governor to work with MPs and the CS?" she posed.

"We are asking Meru MCAs to re-examine their moves and focus on service delivery and not accept to be used by selfish leaders seeking self gains."

Oscar Mutugi, a political pundit, said that since the previous impeachment motion was overturned by senators the new one must be different.

"My feeling is that the impeachment, like any other, will be a political process. However, the assembly must make the process above board and legally watertight to avoid a situation where a court overturns on the basis of a flawed process," Mr Mutugi said.