Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has been impeached following a Senate vote that confirmed her ouster by the Meru County Assembly. In a contentious session, 26 senators voted in favor of the impeachment, while 4 opposed it, and 14 abstained from voting.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi declared that Mwangaza’s removal from office paves way for her Deputy Governor, Isaac Mutuma to be sworn in as the new governor of Meru.
The impeachment proceedings were marked by drama, with heated exchanges among senators. Initially, 31 senators voted to allow a debate on the impeachment, while 9 opposed it. However, after a shouting match erupted, Speaker Kingi ordered members to vote without further discussion.
Mwangaza faced three charges, including gross violation of the Constitution of Kenya. In the first count, 26 senators supported the accusation, 4 voted against it, and 14 abstained. For the second charge, involving violations of national and county laws, the vote was similarly lopsided, with 26 in favor, 2 against, and 14 abstaining. The final charge of abuse of office saw 27 senators supporting it, with 1 opposing and 14 abstaining.
Mwangaza now has the option to appeal the Senate’s decision in court. She has consistently denied the allegations, asserting that she took corrective action regarding illegal appointments after a previous impeachment attempt.
Furthermore, Mwangaza refuted claims made by her former legal advisor, Linda Kiome, about forgery, stating that her decisions were made based on legal advice regarding the revocation of Virginia Miriti’s appointment as Secretary of the County Public Service Board.