Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has been impeached for the third time.
Of the 69 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) 49 voted in favour of the motion, 17 opposed while three abstained.
The impeachment represents the third successful removal out of five attempts by the current assembly. The Meru High Court had previously halted three others after the embattled county boss moved to court claiming the process was flawed.
In the latest motion, the mover UDA nominated MCA who is also the deputy majority leader Zipporah Kinya accused Mwangaza of three main charges: gross violation of the Kenyan Constitution, breaches of various national and county laws, and abuse of office.
The assembly convened Thursday morning, with the session officially starting at 10:30 am, amid heavy police presence around the assembly premises.
There was a brief altercation involving assembly security and a group of MCAs allied to Governor Mwangaza, who accused the assembly of bias.
Former Abothoguchi Central MCA Bundi defended the proceedings were within the law.
To substantiate the charges of gross misconduct, Kinya claimed Mwangaza misled the public by falsely reporting that Ksh86 million had been raised through a Paybill account following the murder of blogger Danile Muthiani, while only Ksh286,516 had been collected. This, she argued, breached the ethical standards expected of public officials.
Muthiani, a well-known blogger, was abducted from Meru and found dead in Tharaka Nithi in December of the previous year.
His murder heightened political tensions surrounding Mwangaza and her rivals, with several suspects arrested.
Additionally, Kinya accused Mwangaza of inflating the governor’s office staff to 111 personnel, significantly raising the county’s wage bill beyond the 35 per cent limit of annual revenue.
She noted that 79 of these staff were cleaners a number she deemed excessive for the office.
Mwangaza was also charged with illegal appointments and dismissals, including allegedly revoking the appointment of County Public Service Board CEO Virginia Kawira Miriti, an action Kinya deemed unlawful.
Further allegations against Mwangaza included her failure to appoint heads for the Meru County Development and Investment Corporation and the Meru Microfinance Corporation.
Deputy Speaker Mwenda Ali argued that Mwangaza’s hiring practices and excess staffing warranted her removal to restore fairness and end impunity.
Majority Whip Jim Muchui and Minority Whip Mwenda Ithili supported her removal, citing poor revenue collection and a need to restore integrity to Meru’s governance.
MCA Martin Makasi cited inadequate health services as a reason for Mwangaza’s ouster, while Abogeta West MCA Dennis ‘DMK’ Kiogora claimed Mwangaza’s continued violations justified her removal and noted that she had exacerbated the situation by allocating a Ksh531 million road project to the Mechanical Transport Fund, leading to capital flight.
The governor has d maintained all attempts to impeach her are politically motivated.
