Impeachment upheld: Kawira Mwangaza loses Meru Governor seat
Impeached Meru County Governor Kawira Mwangaza at Milimani Law Court on March 14, 2025.
The High Court has upheld the impeachment of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza saying the process leading to her removal followed the law.
Justice Bahati Mwamuye dismissed Mwangaza's petition stating that the impeachment process followed the proper legal procedures.
"The amended petition dated December 23, 2024, has not met the required legal threshold for this court to disturb the decision of the Senate," the judge ruled while dismissing Mwangaza's petition.
"The gazette notice dated August 20, 2024, issued by the Senate communicating the decision to remove the petitioner from office as the governor of Meru, the impeachment is affirmed," Justice Mwamuye ruled.
Impeached Meru County Governor Kawira Mwangaza at Milimani Law Court on March 14, 2025.
Governor Mwangaza had challenged her ouster raising various grounds including claims of procedural violations, fair hearing and claims of inadequate public participation.
Ms Mwangaza was one of the seven female elected governors after the August 9, 2022 general election as she garnered 209,148 votes and floored the incumbent Kiraitu Murungi and former the current Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi.
The embattled Meru governor challenged her ouster stating that the resolution for her removal was founded on grounds that lacked the legally established threshold for the removal of a governor.
“A declaration that section 33(8) of the County Governments Act is unconstitutional in as far as it allows the re-introduction of the same charges which previously failed to result in the removal of a governor after the expiry of three months in that the same proviso amounts to double jeopardy and is clear contravention of Article 50(2) of the
Constitution,” she said in her petition.
Senators endorsed the decision by the Meru County Assembly to send Ms Kawira home on August 21 last year, after a third attempt to remove her from office.
A total of 26 senators voted in support of the three charges brought against Ms Mwangaza
But she rushed to court the same day and Justice Mwamuye stopped the implementation of the resolution of the Senate, removing her from office.
The Senate challenged the order stopping her impeachment saying it had far-reaching implications that encroach on their mandate.
The Senators further argued that they were not given an opportunity to be heard before the order was given.
The senators also challenged the order arguing that it violates the principles of natural justice, which provides that parties have a right to be heard before adverse orders are made against them.
"The gazette notice dated August 20, 2024 issued by the Senate communicating the decision to remove the petitioner from office as the governor of Meru, the impeachment is affirmed," Justice Mwamuye ruled.
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