Date with destiny as Meru MCAs go for Governor Kawira Mwangaza, again
Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza (center) addressing the media outside the Senate Chambers on December 30, 2022 after her impeachment case was dismissed. She is flanked by Senator Gloria Orwoba (left) and nominated Senator Mutinda Maureen Tabitha.
Ten months after Meru governor Kawira Mwangaza survived impeachment, the County Assembly of Meru has kicked off another attempt based on seven grounds.
The County Assembly impeached Governor Mwangaza on December 14, 2022, before the Senate came to her rescue.
But after months of relative calm, Majority Leader Evans Mawira on Tuesday morning tabled a notice of impeachment motion effectively giving the governor seven days to respond to the accusations.
The seven accusations against the county boss include misappropriation and misuse of county resources, nepotism and unethical acts, vilification and demeaning of other leaders, illegal appointments and usurpation of statutory powers.
Others are contempt of court, illegal naming of a public road after the husband and contempt of the assembly.
“The Governor has, despite a previous impeachment process and warnings from the Senate, persisted in discreditable acts that singly and collectively amount to gross violation of the Constitution, gross violation of various national and county laws, gross abuse of office and gross misconduct.” Mr Mawira stated.
He says the discreditable acts have exposed the county government, its leadership and the people of Meru to national shame, embarrassment, ridicule and disgrace.
Mr Mawira further says the governor’s acts have created a toxic environment and cannot be relied on to work harmoniously with her deputy, staff, MCAs and other elected leaders.
The assembly Majority leader indicts the governor on grounds of embezzling county funds through her relatives including her sisters, brother, brother-in-law and nephew to her husband.
She is also accused of paying her relatives for various supplies yet they are ineligible to tender for supply of goods or services to the county government.
Ms Mwangaza is also facing ouster for allowing payment of full salary and benefits to four senior staff “while knowing that those officers were not rendering any services to the County.”
The Meru governor is also on the spot for “diversion and misuse of county resources to run her private charity dubbed Okolea programme.
On nepotism, governor Mwangaza is accused of sending her relatives as ‘a technical team’ on a mission to inspect cancer treatment equipment in China, employing her nephew as the Meru Youth Service Chief executive officer and acting chief officer for finance.
“The governor has assigned diplomatic duties of engaging with foreign diplomats and dignitaries to her unqualified sisters Miriam Guantai and Rose Guantai.
Governor Mwangaza is also on the spot for exclusion of her deputy from executive committee meetings, bullying and condoning insubordination of the deputy governor.
Specifically, the governor's chief of staff is said to have accepted non-existent resignation letters from the deputy governor's personal assistant Patrick Nkunga and driver Paul Gikamati who deny resigning.
“The purported resignation of Patrick Nkunga on May 18, 2023 is a fabrication of the Governor’s Chief of Staff.” the majority leader stated.
Mr Mawira also cites demeaning public utterances against other elected leaders, falsely accusing leaders of cartelism and encouraging her husband’s insulting and demeaning public utterances.
Among county staff said to have been appointed illegally include three chief officers, traffic marshals, irregularly hiring more than 100 personal staff and designating various cleaners as senior support staff.
Ms Mwangaza is further accused of disobeying two court orders issued by the Employment and Labor Court.
The governor is accused of violating the Meru County Honours and Awards Act, 2018 in naming a public road after her husband.
Also in the seven counts in a recent failure by the governor to appear before the County Assembly’s Justice, Legal Affairs and Cohesion committee to answer questions on the mistreatment of her deputy.
The impeachment motion is expected to be debated on Wednesday next week when the governor will have an opportunity to defend herself.
If a majority of the MCAs endorse the impeachment of Governor Mwangaza, the assembly speaker will notify the Senate Speaker of the resolution within two days.
The Senate will convene within seven days to hear the charges against the governor.
