Senators have on Tuesday opted for a House plenary (all Senators) to handle Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza’s impeachment.
This comes after Senate Speaker Amason Kingi issued a communication from the Speaker of the County Assembly of Meru regarding the passage by the County Assembly of a motion for the removal from office by way of impeachment of Governor Kawira Mwangaza.
“This is to inform you that on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, the County Assembly of Meru vide a resolution and under the provisions of Article 181 of the Constitution of Kenya, approved a motion for the removal of Governor Kawira Mwangaza by impeachment,” Speaker Kingi read out his communication.
The majority side of the Senate opted for the plenary way to hear the allegations from the Meru Ward Representatives. They argued that it was the best way to go adding that the plenary way to probe the allegations made against Governor Mwangaza would be transparent.
On the other hand, Azimio affiliated Senators led by Ledama Ole Kina had rooted for a Select Committee to hear Mwangaza’s impeachment. Senator Ole Kina moved the motion on the Establishment of a Special Committee to Investigate and Report on the Proposed Removal from Office, by Impeachment.
Senator Ole Kina’s motion would see the appointment of a special committee comprising eleven Senators to investigate the proposed removal from office of the Governor of Meru.
Last week, 59 off the 69 Members of the Meru County Assembly resolved to impeach Governor Mwangaza while 10 members were absent in the Assembly chambers for voting last week Wednesday.
Meru MCAs have accused the embattled Governor of misappropriation and misuse of County resources by withdrawing County funds under the guise of paying for various supplies by the Governor’s relatives who are not eligible to bid for contracts.
Mwangaza is also accused of nepotism. The Ward Representatives alleged that the Governor appointed one Edwin Mutuma Murangiri (her husband’s nephew) as the CEO of Meru Youth Service and Acting Chief Officer, Ministry of Finance.
The MCAs further accused Mwangaza of bullying, vilification and demeaning other leaders in the public.
Illegal appointments and usurpation of statutory powers, contempt of court, illegal naming of a public road after her husband and contempt of the Assembly are also some of the accusations labelled against the Governor.
If the impeachment motion is upheld, Kawira Mwangaza will be the third Governor after former Kiambu and Nairobi Governors Ferdinand Waititu and Mike Mbuvi Sonko respectively to be found guilty by the Senate.
