Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza yesterday said ward representatives have been pushing for her impeachment on account of her gender. The governor added that she has also been firm on accountability of public resources.
The governor said she ceded ground considerably in a bid to appease the representatives, including asking her husband Murega Baichu not to attend public meetings, to no avail.
Ms Mwangaza said there have been “ridiculous” demands, like Mr Murega not wearing his trademark fedora in public events and shaving his beard.
“At first, they said the problem was my husband. He even stopped accompanying me to public events for two weeks. Then they said it was his hat, even when he was not even wearing it,” Governor Mwangaza said.
“He no longer carries his guitar because they said it was a problem. The other day, I heard him say the problem is his beard and I told him not to shave because that is what attracted me to him.”
The county boss added that she sought reconciliation with MCAs through the Council of Governors and President William Ruto but ward representatives insisted on her removal.
Before her impeachment on Wednesday, Ms Mwangaza had said that the local community was not used to having women as leaders.
She said her administration has already allocated Sh10 million to every ward in Meru County for development “but the MCAs are still not satisfied”. Meru has 45 wards.
Ms Mwangaza said her door is open for ward representatives and urged the community to give her time “and prove that women can offer quality leadership”.
“Women face a lot of challenges. Some people will take time to accept that a woman is the governor of this great county,” she said.
Deputy Governor Mutuma M’Ethingia compared the impeachment to the manner in which the first Meru female MP Anna Rita Karimi was hounded from office and imprisoned.
“It has taken 47 years to restore the leadership of a woman in Meru County. The same men are seeking her removal from office. They want to repeat what happened in 1976. We urge President Ruto to safeguard the leadership of women,” he said.
