Beleaguered Meru county governor Kawira Mwangaza has today evening been impeached for the second time in ten months portending a bleak future for her political career.
A total of 59 members of the Meru County Assembly (MCAs) voted to ouster Kawira while 10 others skipped today’s heated sitting.
This is the second time the County Assembly has impeached the governor from office.
“It is my pleasure to announce the ayes have it. The motion has passed and the governor stands impeached by the County Assembly of Meru.” Meru County Assembly Speaker Ayub Bundi declared.
The governor survived a previous impeachment in December 2022 after the Senate declined to confirm impeachment charges.
Through lawyers Dunstan Omari and Elias Mutuma, Kawira told the MCAs that they lacked jurisdiction over the subject matter as it was still active in the Nyeri Court of Appeal expected to be determined this coming Friday.
Kawira’s lawyers further argued that the report of public participation was conducted in one ward out of the total 15 and the report was not availed to the Governor as required by the law.
Ward representatives cited Mwangaza for seven violations including misuse of public funds, gross misconduct, and contempt of court and the County Assembly.
The Governor is also facing allegations of nepotism for employing her husband’s nephew as the CEO of Meru Youth Service (MYS) and Acting Chief Officer of Finance.
Further, she is accused of misusing county resources including funds and vehicles to run her charity initiative dubbed Okolea, despite promising the Senate during her previous impeachment hearing to refrain from such operations.
Mwangaza is alleged to have taken her relatives on overseas trips using county resources.
The Court of Appeal declined to stop the Meru County Assembly from debating the impeachment deferring its verdict on the matter Friday.
