Meru County Assembly Impeaches Governor Kawira Mwangaza in Contentious Vote
In a session marked by heavy police presence, the Meru County Assembly today voted to impeach Governor Kawira Mwangaza.
The motion, introduced by Deputy Majority Leader Zipporah Kinya, saw 49 out of the 66 MCAs present voting in favor, with 17 dissenting.
This marks the fifth impeachment motion against Governor Mwangaza, with two previous attempts reaching the Senate and two others being halted by court orders.
Ms. Kinya’s motion accused the Governor of gross violations of the Constitution and other laws. Among the allegations were the unlawful revocation of public officers’ appointments without the requisite 75 percent MCA vote, failure to appoint chairpersons for corporations and boards, and refusal to implement the Assembly’s recommendations.
The motion also charged Governor Mwangaza with gross misconduct, accusing her of deliberately misleading the public by disseminating false information on various issues.
This, according to Ms. Kinya, constituted a breach of the ethical standards expected of state officers under the Public Officer Ethics Act and the Leadership and Integrity Act.
Furthermore, the Governor was accused of engaging in acts amounting to abuse of office and gross violation of laws, including the Constitution, the Leadership and Integrity Act, and the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.
Following the vote, Meru County Speaker Ayub Bundi now has 48 hours to notify the Senate Speaker, who will be tasked with forming a committee to investigate the matter. The Senate committee is expected to deliberate and provide its findings within ten days of its formation.
