Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has scheduled a special session on Wednesday to address the impeachment motion against embattled Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza.
Last Thursday, the Meru County Assembly impeached Mwangaza for the third time, with 49 members voting in favor of her removal. The motion was initiated by Zipporah Kinya, the Deputy Majority Leader, who accused the governor of gross violations of the constitution and other laws, misconduct, and abuse of office.
In an official Gazette notice, Speaker Kingi announced that the special sitting would begin at 2:30 p.m. in the Senate Chamber at the Parliament buildings in Nairobi.
“The purpose of this sitting shall be the hearing of charges against Ms. Kawira Mwangaza, the Governor of Meru County. As per Standing Order 33 (5) of the Senate Standing Orders, this will be the sole agenda for the session, after which the Senate will adjourn until Tuesday, 3rd September 2024, at 2:30 p.m., in line with the Senate calendar,” Kingi stated on Tuesday.
During last week’s vote, three Meru MCAs abstained from voting to remove Governor Mwangaza, while 17 voted against the motion.
This marks the third time Mwangaza, a first-term governor, has faced impeachment by the county assembly, despite five attempts to oust her from office.
‘BLOATED WORKFORCE’
In the most recent impeachment motion, Kinya accuses Mwangaza of engaging in “discreditable acts” that violate national and county laws, bringing shame and embarrassment to the Office of the Governor, the Deputy Governor, the Assembly, and the people of Meru County.
Specific charges include her failure to appoint chairpersons for key boards such as the Meru County Revenue Board and the Meru Microfinance Corporation. Additionally, Mwangaza is accused of illegally revoking Virginia Miriti’s appointment as county secretary without securing the required 75 percent vote from the Meru MCAs.
Further allegations include overpaying 161 doctors and medical officers emergency call allowances, resulting in an excessive payment of Ksh. 74.3 million. Mwangaza is also accused of using a manual payroll to disburse Ksh. 102.9 million in personnel emoluments.
Kinya also claims that Mwangaza employed a “bloated workforce of at least 111 personal staff” in her office, which she argues has significantly increased the wage bill by over Ksh. 500 million.
Moreover, the governor is criticized for continuing to pay a staff member his full salary and benefits while he was in remand over a murder case.
The Deputy Majority Leader contends that efforts at reconciliation have failed, and Mwangaza’s continued tenure has “persistently undermined effective and efficient service delivery and gravely harmed the interests of the people of Meru County.”
Last November, Mwangaza survived a second impeachment attempt after a majority of the 47 senators declined to uphold any of the seven charges brought against her by the Meru County Assembly. The accusations then included misappropriation of county resources, nepotism, unethical practices, bullying and vilifying other leaders, and usurping her statutory powers.
Mwangaza’s first impeachment attempt occurred in December 2022, but an 11-member Senate committee found that none of the charges against her were substantiated.
