Trouble Deepens for Governor Kawira Mwangaza as New Petition Emerges

A petitioner has approached the High Court to challenge the Senate’s decision to save Governor Kawira Mwangaza from impeachment.

The main concern of the complainant is that the Senate failed to properly evaluate all the proof furnished in the motion. The governor appears to have survived for a second time after the Senate officials shunned the seven allegations submitted by the MCAs on October 25th alleging that they lacked accountability. Amongst the complaints made against the governor, there were several major counts such as unlawful positioning of family members, mishandling funds, contempt of court, illegal appointments, the unauthorized naming of a road after her husband Murega Baichu, contempt of assembly, and defamation of elected leaders.

The governor’s first impeachment attempt was blocked by the Senate in December 2022, following a thorough examination by an 11-member committee led by Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, which cleared her of all 62 charges. Mr. Michael Kibutha, also known as Makarena, claims that Senate Speaker Amason Kingi authorized the debate and voting to take place on an undisclosed date, despite the hearing having been slated for November 7th and 8th, 2023. Consequently, Mr. Kibutha is requesting the intervention of the High Court to overturn this decision. The case involves the Speaker, Ms Mwangaza, the Attorney General, and the Meru County Assembly as the respondents.

Mr. Kibutha is seeking a declaration from the court affirming that the grounds for impeachment presented by the provincial assembly have fulfilled the requirements. On that very day, a collective of Meru County residents submitted a formal request to the Meru County Assembly, urging them to initiate the impeachment process against twelve members of Governor Kawira Mwangaza’s administration. The allegations put forth in this petition, which has garnered 1,611 signatures, assert that eight executive committee members, three chief executives, the chief of staff, and three chief officers have violated various laws outlined in the constitution and the County Government Act.

Governor Mwangaza, who recently survived a second impeachment attempt, was ultimately voted out of office by a majority of fifty-nine county assembly members on October 25. The residents’ focus in this petition is specifically directed towards the removal of the CECs, Chief Officers, and Chief of Staff. On November 15, the Clerk of the County Assembly will be presented with a petition. Subsequently, the House Business Committee will place it on the Order Paper. Representing the petitioners, the Speaker will hand the petition over to the House and transfer it to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee.

If the petition is agreed to be sincere, a member of the JLAC will produce a motion of impeachment and then brief the House on the situation. Following this, the Speaker will appoint a committee consisting of five members tasked with investigating the allegations. The committee will have a period of 10 days to summon the CECs and Chief Officers to provide their defence.

Once the committee completes its investigation, it will present its report to the House, where it will be subject to debate. A vote will then take place, requiring the support of one-third or 23 out of the 69 members to proceed with the impeachment of the officers.