Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza impeachment hearing has begun with parties to the trial putting up a spirited case before senators on why the outcome of the case should go their way.
While the county assembly has called for the Senate to help cure the problem ailing Meru County by sending the governor home, Ms Mwangaza’s team has hit back, saying the impeachment motion is a “manifesto of lies”.
Taking to the floor first, Meru County Assembly lead counsel Ndegwa Njiru said they would prove, with evidence, how public money and resources are being misused under Mwangaza’s watch.
“You (Senate) are being called for the third time to interrogate the character and the ability of Kawira Mwangaza to govern Meru. This cannot be malice, personal vendetta. We are here because there is a serious trust deficit with the ability of Mwangaza to govern Meru,” said Mr Njiru in his opening statement.
He cited how more than Sh200 million has been embezzled and employees victimised for instituting proper procedures and systems, with the governor taking no action.
“When she has been called, she has manufactured a serious safety valve that makes sure she is not held accountable but puts the blame on others. When proper procedures are taken by employees, they are victimised. They are victimised because she wants to maintain a system that is not accountable,” said the lead counsel.
“If you cannot be held accountable and always blaming others, what is your role? When embezzlement is happening, what action have you taken? If you hold someone accountable, it is not malice,” he added.
The other counsel, Boniface Mawira, continued in the same manner, saying there is a serious problem in Meru which the county assembly has diagnosed and is calling on the Senate to find a cure for it.
He said there is a serious breakdown in governance in Meru where oversight functions are crippled, and resolutions and recommendations are disregarded by the Executive.
“What redress does the county assembly remain with other than coming before you? This House is the protector of devolution and we beseech you to protect devolution that is on its deathbed in Meru,” said Mr Mawira.
Taking to the lectern to make the governor’s opening argument, lawyer Elias Mutuma said the current impeachment charges facing the governor are based on lies and should be summarily dismissed by the Senate.
He said the county assembly has created a lie, told the lie and repeated it so many times that it started sounding like the truth.
“They actually went ahead and believed the lie and now wants the Senate and the entire country to believe the lie,” said Mr Mutuma.
“A rose by any other name shall still smell as sweet. No matter how much mud they smear on the governor, the governor will remain clean, and blameless,” he added.
He asked the senators to analyse the evidence, scrutinise the evidence and ask questions to the witnesses and if it does not add up, send the MCAs back and tell them it is a lie and the fact that they are repeating the lie will not make it the truth.
“All they (assembly) are hoping is they will bring her so many times here, keep on repeating one thing and that we all believe that indeed there might be some truth in it. It does not make it the truth just because they keep on repeating the same lies.”
Governor Mwangaza’s lead counsel Elisha Ongoya termed the charges frivolous, accusing the assembly of abusing impeachment powers just to torment the county boss.
He said the problem with Meru County is not Ms Mwangaza because nothing on the parts of her acts of commission or omission warrants her removal from office by way of impeachment.
“The document before you, which is essentially the impeachment motion, is simply a manifesto of lies. What can you do to stop this plain nefarious use of impeachment powers?” posed Mr Ongoya.
“It matters not whether she shall be brought here 100 times. You cannot victimise her because those who torment her are tireless in their torment against her,” he added.
