Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza (centre) flanked by her deputy Mutuma M'Ethingia (left) and lawyer Elius Mutuma breaks down after senate committee rejects her impeachment by Meru MCAs, [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

A section of leaders in Meru is happy with the Senate for overturning the impeachment of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza.

The Meru Assembly through a motion sponsored by Abogeta West MCA Dennis 'DMK' Kiogora impeached Governor Kawira after the ward reps accused her of nepotism and irregular appointments and sackings among other violations and vowed not to work with her.

But some leaders now say they are happy the senate ruled in a just manner.

Former Imenti Central Imenti MP and human rights crusader Gitobu Imanyara said he was not surprised by the outcome.

"This is the result I had anticipated. Impeachment is not a light matter and can only be sustained by charges that raise substantial and grave violations of the law," Mr Imanyara said.

Imanyara said the accusations levelled against Kawira were not strong enough to warrant her ejection from the Governor's seat.

"The charges against Kawira could not, even if true, meet the threshold of impeachment demanded by law. They were parochial and highly political in nature and only sought to achieve what her opponents could not achieve at the ballot box," he stated.

Nevertheless, he said, "Kawira needs to change her governance style if she wants a peaceful term in office".

The lone MCA out of the 70 including Speaker Ayub Bundi who opposed the motion was Kiagu Ward's Simon Ngaruni who expressed joy that the senate had found no case against the Governor elected as an independent.

Mr Ngaruni said he had gone through the motion and found the allegations false stating that Kawira had done nothing wrong.

He appealed to his colleagues to put aside their differences so that all leaders could join Kawira in achieving development for the people.

"I always believed she was Innocent of the charges brought against her. So I stood with her," he said.

Former Nominated MP Halima Mucheke who is now Chairperson of Tourism Regulatory Authority, said: " I Wish to congratulate the senate for being fair in their judgment. My feeling was that it was too early to impeach Governor Kawira or any other Governor because it was going to set a bad precedent and most governors would have been forced to serve at the mercy of MCAs," said Ms Mucheke.

She said it would not have been good for Kawira to suffer the fate of Anne Rita Karimi who was Meru's first elected MP in the 1970s but did not get to serve as she was ejected soon after she made history.

"As a woman, and especially from Meru, the impeachment of Kawira and considering what happened to Anna Rita Karimi there would have been no space for women in politics. Therefore, I celebrate Governor Kawira and appreciate the committee," said Mucheke.