Meru County Governor Kawira Mwangaza has been impeached by the County Assembly for the third time, following a vote on Thursday, August 8. The assembly voted 49 to 20 in favor of the impeachment, citing accusations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and constitutional violations.
Deputy Majority Leader Zipporah Kinya, who presented the impeachment motion, accused Mwangaza of several legal infractions. “The governor has blatantly disregarded the law by revoking appointments and ignoring crucial assembly resolutions,” Kinya stated. She specifically criticized Mwangaza for illegally revoking Virginia Kawira’s appointment as secretary of the county public service board, which Kinya argued was the assembly’s responsibility to handle.
Another major accusation involved Mwangaza’s misleading claims during a fundraiser for the family of Daniel Muthiani, also known as Sniper. Mwangaza had stated that Ksh86 million was raised, but records show only Ksh286,000 was collected. “This exaggeration breached public trust and endangered the deceased’s family,” Kinya added.
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The motion also pointed out that Mwangaza hired 111 workers, including 79 cleaners, under questionable circumstances, raising concerns about transparency in the payroll system.
Evans Mawira Kaaria, a critic of Mwangaza, argued that the impeachment grounds were insufficient. “This is the weakest motion we’ve had. The reasons do not meet the threshold for impeachment,” Mawira said.
The Senate is set to review the assembly’s decision and decide whether Mwangaza should remain in office. Some senators, like Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, have suggested transferring Meru’s governance to the national government if the conflict persists. “If this circus continues, we may need to suspend the entire county government,” Wambua remarked.
As Meru County awaits the Senate’s verdict, the ongoing political turmoil continues to raise concerns about the effectiveness of local governance and the delivery of essential services.