Meru County Governor Kawira Mwangaza has been impeached for the third time in two years, following a vote by the Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) in favor of the motion.
49 out of 66 MCAs voted in favour of the impeachment motion tabled, meeting the two-thirds threshold while 17 voted against the motion. Three MCAs did not vote.
This is after Deputy Majority leader MCA Zipporah Kinya tabled another impeachment motion on Wednesday, July 31, afternoon, triggering a fresh process to remove Mwangaza just two days after the governor was granted a reprieve by the courts.
The fourth impeachment withdrawal followed a controversial ruling by the Meru High Court which involved the Njuri Ncheke Supreme Council of Elders in the impeachment case.
In the new motion, Kinya wanted the governor removed from office for gross violation of the Constitution and other laws, gross misconduct and abuse of office.
Several charges from the previously suspended motion were dropped in the new motion, including those related to the illegal dismissal of a legal adviser and the hiring of a county lawyer without the county assembly’s approval.
Allegations Against the Governor
However, the MCA now accused the governor of several new offenses including the illegal revocation of the appointment of Virginia Kagwiria as County Public Service Board Secretary, failing to appoint various board chairpersons, and not implementing county assembly resolutions.
Additionally, the governor was accused of illegally dismissing several board executives and misleading the public by falsely claiming that MCAs had raised Ksh86 million for the family of the late blogger Bernard Muthiani, also known as Sniper.
She is also accused of paying a full salary to Christus Manyara, a public relations officer, despite being charged with murder, in contravention of the Public Service Commission’s disciplinary manual.
Also Read: New Twist in Kawira Mwangaza Woes as MCAs Launch Fifth Impeachment Move
Chaos Witnessed Ahead of the Motion to Oust Kawira Mwangaza
Earlier, on Thursday, August 8, a dramatic scene unfolded at the Meru County Assembly as chaos erupted following a clash between supporters of embattled Governor Kawira Mwangaza and those advocating for her fifth impeachment motion.
The tension escalated when Mwangaza’s supporters stormed the assembly building, blocking Members of County Assembly (MCAs) from entering. This disruption occurred as the assembly was set to launch the fifth impeachment motion against Governor Mwangaza.
Also Read: Njuri Ncheke Breaks Silence on Kawira Mwangaza Case After Court Decision
Governor Kawira Mwangaza’s impeachment comes shortly after a segment of the Njuri Ncheke Meru Council of Elders had offered to mediate between her and the MCAs.
On Monday, August 5, 2024, at the Njuri Ncheke shrine in Ncheru, Tigania West Sub County, the elders, led by Tigania Njuri Ncheke Chairman Andriano Aruyaru, dismissed claims that they were unable to resolve the ongoing conflict between the governor and some MCAs.
Governor Kawira Mwangaza was first impeached in November 2022, just three months into her tenure. She faced a second impeachment in October 2023, when 59 out of 69 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) voted in support of the impeachment motion.
The Senate Assembly had previously rejected an impeachment motion against Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza and this decision had previously saved her from being removed from office.
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