In a decisive turn of events, the Meru County Assembly has made a resounding decision to impeach Governor Kawira Mwangaza, marking a significant chapter in Meru's political landscape.
A total of 59 members of the County Assembly (MCAs) were present during the crucial session, and all of them cast their votes in favor of the impeachment motion. Not a single MCA opposed or abstained from the decision, demonstrating the strong consensus within the assembly.
The announcement of the impeachment was made by the Assembly Speaker, who declared, "It is now my pleasure to announce at this juncture, the ayes have it and the motion is passed, and the Governor stands impeached by the County Assembly of Meru."
The embattled Meru Governor, Kawira Mwangaza, had been facing a barrage of serious charges that formed the basis of her impeachment. These charges included allegations of gross misconduct, misappropriation of County funds, usurping the law and the Constitution, nepotism, bullying, contempt of court, and naming a public road after her husband without adhering to the stipulated procedures.
The motion for impeachment was introduced by Majority Leader Evans Mawira of Mitunguu Ward and enjoyed the support of 57 MCAs who had appended their signatures to it. However, the MCAs backing the motion took a brief hiatus on Monday, October 23, to conduct a public participation exercise as required by the law before proceeding with the impeachment process.
While Governor Mwangaza had the backing of the Council of Governors (CoG), she faced opposition from various politicians and interested parties, including Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Lenturi, and members of the influential Njuri Ncheke council of elders.
Prior to the assembly's decision, Governor Mwangaza had attempted to halt her impeachment through legal means, seeking intervention from the Court of Appeal in Nyeri. However, her plea for an injunction to stop the proceedings was declined by the court.
Notably, Governor Mwangaza was not present in the assembly during the impeachment vote, and she was represented by a team of seven lawyers led by Danstan Omari. In a statement released earlier, she had implored Kenyans to pray for her and for justice in the proceedings, emphasizing the significance of the moment.
This marked the second time that the embattled Meru Governor faced impeachment. She had previously survived a similar impeachment attempt in December of the previous year, which was subsequently quashed by the Senate. During that episode, a significant majority of 67 MCAs had voted in favor of her removal, citing abuse of office within just three months of her assumption of office.
A special committee, composed of 11 senators and chaired by Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, had reviewed the allegations against her during the first impeachment attempt. The committee's report had declared that the 62 allegations leveled against her were unsubstantiated, resulting in her retention as the Governor of Meru at that time.
