Governor Mwangaza to know her fate next Wednesday

MeruGovernor Kawira Mwangaza before the Senate during the hearing of her first impeachment at Parliament buildings, Nairobi, in December 27, 2023. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] Senate has set in motion a process that will determine the fate of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza Speaker Amason Kingi ruled that her impeachment motion will be before the whole house. The House adopted listening to the charges against the Governor in a plenary with a majority of Senators allied to Kenya Kwanza Alliance supporting this while those allied to Azimio La Umoja supported the Committee way which was defeated on the floor of the house. Senate Minority Whip Ledama ole Kina had vouched for the formation of a committee of 11 Senators to investigate the allegations made against Mwangaza saying that they will be able to look at all the charges for impeachment against the Governor to be either upheld or thrashed. Ledama had proposed Senators; Abdi Haji (Garissa), Boni Khalwale (Kakamega), Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu), Peris Tobiko (nominated), Crystal Asige (nominated), Enoch Wambua (Kitui), Esther Okenyuri (nominated), Karungo Thang'wa (Kiambu), Shakila Abdalla (nominated), Ali Roba (Mandera)and Okiya Omtatah (Busia). Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot opposed the motion saying that no method is superior to the other but proposing the house goes the plenary way for all members in the house to debate on the impeachment motion. "The last time we had a similar process I had said that next time we should go the plenary way so that all senators may have a chance to deliberate on the matters at hand, this issue of the committee being better than plenary or the other way is neither here or there," said Cheruiyot. He said that the committee will be able to give both the people of Meru and Mwangaza justice with the Senate which has a quasi-judicial power be able to dispense with the matter and either confirm or dismiss the charges brought by the County Assembly which has the powers to do so. Kirinyaga Senator James Murango opposed the motion brought by Ledama saying that it was supposed to be tabled by the Majority Leader terming it as having a hidden agenda and that the youths in the Senate need to be given a chance to participate in the process. "It was unfair to have the same people who were in the previous committee that handled Governor Mwangaza's impeachment and that the house plenary should discuss the matter instead of a few members serving in a committee," said Murango. Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi said that this was not the first time the house had discussed a similar motion and that previously members have supported the committee wondering what has changed for some members to oppose it now and that for a neat job is for them to go the committee way. "We need to continue with the image we have acquired as a house that listens and looks at issues critically before coming up with a decision. if we go the plenary way we may not adhere to the constitution on the issue of fair administration," said Osotsi. Embu Senator Alex Mundigi supported the house to go the plenary way in order to give all the Senators a chance to interrogate the matters brought before the house to give the people of Meru Justice instead of a few members discussing the matter and bringing a report to the house. Migori Senator Eddy Oketch said that it should be noted that this was the second time that the impeachment motion against the governor was being brought to the house and that it was important to interrogate each accusation against the governor supporting going the plenary way. Kingi told Senators that he had received a message from the Speaker of the Meru County Assembly informing him of the passage of a motion for the removal from office of Governor Mwangaza from office by way of impeachment. She is facing accusations of misappropriation and misuse of county resources, nepotism and related unethical practices, bullying, vilification and demeaning other leaders, Illegal appointments and usurpation of statutory powers, contempt of court, illegally naming a public road after her husband, and contempt of the assembly. "Governor Mwangaza is accused of embezzling county funds through relatives, withdrawing county funds through false claims of payment for supplies and services rendered by the governor's relatives, despite being ineligible to tender for or supply goods to the County Government," said Kingi. The Governor is facing accusation of paying full salaries and benefits for over a year to four high-ranking County officials, despite them not rendering any services to the county and misusing county resources, including funds and motor vehicles, to support the Governor's private charity, despite previous promises to keep county operations and private charity separate. The Governor is facing charges of fraudulently being represented by unqualified relatives as a "technical team" for medical equipment inspection in China, employing one, Edwin Murangiri a nephew to her husband, in key county positions. She is accused of designating her brother-in-law, Nephat Kinyua, as Director of External Linkages without transparent and competitive recruitment and assigned diplomatic duties with engagements with foreign diplomats and dignitaries to unqualified relatives. The governor is facing accusations of excluding the Deputy Governor from County Executive Committee meetings and other official functions, arbitrarily suspending, dismissing, withdrawing and frustrating staff of the office of the Deputy Governor and Illegally, irregularly and fraudulently hounding the Deputy Governor's staff out of office by purporting to accept their non-existent resignations. "She is facing charges of engaging in bullying and posting demeaning messages about the Deputy Governor in WhatsApp groups known as "3rd Government 012" and "County Admin Services" whose membership includes several officers who are subordinate to the Deputy Governor and threatened to inflict bodily harm against him orally and in WhatsApp chats," said Kingi. She was accused of arbitrarily withdrawing security from the Deputy Governor's residences, and persistently making demeaning public utterances against other elected leaders despite the same issue featuring prominently in previous impeachment proceedings. "Governor Mwangaza is accused of encouraging, conniving and condoning her husband's insulting and demeaning public utterances and musical performances against other elected leaders despite the issue arising in previous impeachment proceedings," Kingi told the House.

Governor Mwangaza to know her fate next Wednesday

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