Members of the Meru County Assembly (MCAs) are making a fourth attempt to impeach Governor Kawira Mwangaza, drawing lessons from the previous three failed attempts.
The impeachment motion tabled in the assembly on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, has been inspired by several factors including failed reconciliation between MCAs and the governor.
However, the decision to move the motion this week was inspired by the ongoing nationwide youth-led protests and a purge in government led by President William Ruto.
It is largely believed that Ms Mwangaza survived the third impeachment attempt last year after wielding a gender card and managing to convince senators that she was a victim of male chauvinism and a political witch-hunt.
Several videos, including those of Njuri Ncheke elders 'oathing' MCAs, and nasty verbal and symbolic attacks by male politicians, were played in the Senate, bringing Governor Mwangaza and some senators to tears.
The choice of Ms Zipporah Kinya, the deputy majority leader and a critic of the governor, to lead the onslaught is intended to dispel the notion that the governor is being challenged because she is a woman.
Earlier this year, nominated MCA Secondina Kanini said that the next impeachment would be led by a woman leader.
"What we need now is the support of the people of Meru because we will soon be heading back to the Senate. This time, women leaders will be on the front line in impeaching the governor. If she cries at the Senate, we shall also cry for our people," Ms Kanini said in April.
Ms Kinya, an advocate of the oversight role of the county assembly, has repeatedly poked holes in the governor's administration.
“I am out to fight incompetence in the management of Meru affairs. Having traversed Meru County, fellow women have told me to correct the mess in the county executive,” she said after tabling the notice of motion.
While Ms Mwangaza has argued that she has given in to too many of the MCAs' demands, ward representatives claim her record of illegalities and irregularities has increased.
“There is no limit in the number of times a lawbreaker can be charged. The Meru governor has grossly violated the law and the constitution. The grounds I have listed in the impeachment motion are the tip of the iceberg. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission should move in and investigate the rot in Meru,” she said.
In the motion, the MCA cites the failure of the governor to adhere to advice from the Senate, the assembly and the people, as one of the basis for impeachment.
"The governor has ignored the advice and warnings of the Senate and persisted in discreditable acts which individually and collectively amount to gross violation of the Constitution, gross violation of various laws and abuse of office." Ms Kinya said in her motion.
She said public petitions have been presented to the assembly on various gross violations and abuse of office.
"There have been several reconciliation efforts but none has borne fruits. The governor's continued stay in office has persistently undermined effective service delivery and gravely hurt the interests of the people," Ms Kinya said.
However, the governor remained confident that she would emerge victorious once again.
On Wednesday, July 17, through her official Facebook page, Ms Mwangaza stated: “The battle is won. The enemy is dead on arrival!”
Speaking to a local radio station on Monday, Ms Mwangaza said suspending the county government to pave way for fresh elections would best serve the county.
“The MCAs raised many concerns including the donation of cows and my personal community initiatives which I adhered to. I made an effort to seek out every MCA so that we work together but those who agreed were removed from assembly committees. Despite this, I recently agreed to reconciliation talks led by Njuri Ncheke which are ongoing,” Ms Mwangaza said.
She added that she has also given in to MCAs’ demands to allocate more development funds to the wards, leading to the allocation of Sh33 million per ward.
“The impeachments have now become a joke and if this continues, we should suspend the government and go back to the people,” the governor said.
But based on her previous remarks, Ms Mwangaza still believes her political woes are engineered by corrupt individuals and leaders.
In March this year, the Meru governor said her decision to block politicians and corrupt contractors from road projects and to make the allocation of scholarships transparent were the reasons she was being fought.
“We have had 10 years of devolution but there was nothing to show for it in Meru. I refused to continue with the traditions of the previous administrations to ensure resources reach the people at the grassroots. This is the reason I am experiencing many fights,” Ms Mwangaza said.
She added: "We cannot allow shoddy road projects to please private contractors and greedy leaders. They are fighting me because I am implementing projects that have a direct impact on the poor.
She claimed that a ‘cartel’ of few individuals who earn hefty salaries from the government are also interested in dipping their fingers in public coffers.
“I will face them head-on. I don’t want to be a darling of a few salaried people. I urge my opponents to give me space to deliver on my manifesto. We will meet in the ballot in 2027 for a battle of their lives,” she dared.
A section of ward representatives opposed to the motion claimed it was politically instigated to vex the governor.
"As is the norm, the MCAs have revived the old allegations for political interests. The impeachment motion is dead on arrival," Nominated MCA Fridah Naito said.
The governor’s push for the suspension of the government has been backed by nine residents who filed a petition to President William Ruto for the suspension of the county government.
Jesse Mutuma, Doris Mugure, Patrick Gatobu, Monicah Njeri, Jesse Waiti, David Muthengi, Felix Mutugi, Peter Kithinji and Glory Kaguri say the executive and the assembly are operating at extremes and are clearly at loggerheads.
They say the petition is backed by 110,000 residents of Meru County.
“The petitioners believe that there are exceptional circumstances within Meru County in terms of governance which would support the dissolution of the county government…” they argue.
As opposed to previous impeachment attempts when several counts were presented, the governor is facing two counts and 11 specific grounds.
The specific charges include illegally revoking the appointment of the County Public Service Board Secretary Virginia Kagwiria, failing to appoint various autonomous board chairpersons, and failing to implement or report back on resolutions of the county assembly.
Others are irregularly and illegally dismissing her legal adviser, illegally dismissing several Board executives, and appointing a county attorney without vetting by the County Assembly.
"I have provided solid evidence of 400 pages to prove the counts of abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds. However, the charges I have listed are a small part of the mess that we have in the Meru County executive," Ms Kinya told journalists after tabling the notice of motion.
The governor is also on MCA's chopping board for "misleading the public by giving false information that MCAs had raised Sh86 million for the family of the late blogger Bernard Muthiani, popularly known as Sniper".
The Meru governor is also accused of irregularly paying Sh74 million as emergency call allowances to doctors, employing 111 personal staff leading to a wage bill of Sh500 million and paying about Sh103 million in salaries through a manual payroll.
She is also accused of paying a full salary to Mr Christus Manyara, a public communication officer, despite being charged with murder, against the Public Service Commission disciplinary manual.
Following the tabling of the motion, the governor now has until Thursday, July 25 to defend herself.
Public participation forums are slated for Monday, July 22 at ward level before a report is tabled in the house for debate.
To impeach the governor for the third time, Ms Kinya requires 46 MCAs to support the motion. The motion was endorsed by 54 MCAs in an assembly where Ms Mwangaza enjoys the support of 13 out of 69 members.
