Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza intensifies grassroots forums as MCAs plot to impeach her

Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has rolled out public participation forums as she seeks to solidify her support and upstage ward representatives among the grassroots.

The move comes as the county assembly is expected to consider an impeachment motion this week.

Sources in the assembly indicated the motion was ready after sufficient grounds were established against the governor.

Last month, a human rights activist presented to the assembly a petition to impeach Governor Mwangaza on the grounds of gross misconduct and abuse of office.

Earlier this month, the public spat between the governor and members of the county assembly (MCAs) died down after both camps met the Controller of Budget, who advised that each arm stick to its constitutional mandate.

While MCAs retreated to solidify the grounds for impeaching Ms Mwangaza, the governor sought to entrench her grassroots support through public forums and engaging ward administrators.

Governor Mwangaza said she would traverse the county’s 45 wards within nine days to identify development priorities.

On Friday, she visited the vast Buuri constituency and held public forums in five wards.

"I am on a mission to visit all our 45 wards, including the special ward, in the next nine days. I promised my people that I would be accessible and visible,” she said. 

“I will visit every ward in Meru County, engaging residents to [find out] what they need. I will ensure they have the best services that my government can offer."

Ms Mwangaza said her engagements with the grassroots will also enable her to account to the electorate for every coin the county spends.

She said that this financial year her administration would prioritise improving health facilities and roads and allocating bursaries to needy learners.

"My people must know how every coin will be spent. We do not want a scenario where development projects are only available on paper," Ms Mwangaza said.

She pledged to increase bursary allocations to Sh10,000 per beneficiary, as opposed to the Sh3,000 that previous administrations offered.

The governor has vowed to empower ward administrators to identify development needs in every corner of the county, a move that rattled MCAs.

But she reiterated that her administration will be open to scrutiny by the county assembly.

After she fell out with MCAs, she abandoned her plans to introduce a supplementary budget and decided to implement the budget as enacted by the previous administration.

She is also yet to present the names of her nominees for chief officer to the assembly for vetting.

Last month, she cut down the county departments from 10 to six after seven nominees for the County Executive Committee (CEC) were rejected by the assembly.

The CEC is now operating with five members, including three vetted ones and her deputy Isaac Mutuma, who is also the acting Health executive.