The political chaos in Meru has escalated into a farcical display of conflict as county assembly members tabled the fifth impeachment motion against Governor Kawira Mwangaza, just a day after withdrawing the fourth.
This relentless cycle of attempts to unseat the governor highlights the MCAs’ apparent obsession with impeachment over governance.
Nominated MCA Zipporah Kinya initiated yet another impeachment motion on Wednesday afternoon, reigniting the process to remove Governor Mwangaza.
This came merely two days after the governor secured a reprieve from the courts. The Deputy Majority Leader’s withdrawal of the earlier motion on Tuesday now seems like a strategic maneuver to circumvent legal obstacles.
In the new motion, Kinya accuses Governor Mwangaza of gross violation of the Constitution, gross misconduct, and abuse of office, asserting,
“The governor’s continued stay in office has persistently undermined effective and efficient service delivery and gravely hurt the interests of the people of the county.”
Governor Mwangaza responded swiftly on her official Facebook page, confidently dismissing the latest motion as “dead on inception.”
Her lawyer, Elias Mutuma, cautioned the assembly against tabling a new motion, labeling it as contempt of court.
However, the county assembly’s lawyer, Ndegwa Njiru, countered that no court orders were in place to prevent the assembly from pursuing the impeachment.
The new motion removes some of the charges from the previous one, including the alleged illegal dismissal of a legal adviser and unauthorized hiring of a county lawyer.
Instead, it focuses on accusations such as the illegal revocation of County Public Service Board Secretary Virginia Kagwiria’s appointment, failure to appoint various autonomous board chairpersons, and non-implementation of county assembly resolutions.
Additional allegations include the illegal dismissal of several board executives and the dissemination of false information regarding MCAs allegedly raising Sh86 million for the family of the late blogger Bernard Muthiani, known as Sniper.
Governor Mwangaza also faces scrutiny for irregular payments, including Sh74.3 million as emergency call allowances to doctors, hiring 111 personal staff leading to a wage bill of Sh500 million, and paying about Sh103 million in salaries through a manual payroll.
Furthermore, she is accused of paying a full salary to Christus Manyara, a public relations officer charged with murder, in violation of the Public Service Commission’s disciplinary manual.
Ms. Kinya’s withdrawal of the fourth impeachment motion on Tuesday, citing the collapse of the High Court-ordered alternative dispute resolution mechanism, only adds to the drama.
Njuri Ncheke, appointed to mediate the dispute, rejected an amicus curiae application filed by its secretary-general, Operations Josphat Murangiri.
Judge Linus Kassan had referred the matter to an alternative tribunal until August 20, 2024, when a decision was expected on whether to proceed with the impeachment process.
Several Meru residents say the ongoing circus of impeachment motions underscores the MCAs’ prioritization of political theatrics over addressing the genuine needs and concerns of citizens.
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