MCAs are misusing powers to impeach- Lawyer Elisha Ongoya

Members of County Assembly (MCA) are misusing their powers by using the impeachment motions as a conduit to get what they want from governors, Lawyer Elisha Ongoya now says.

The lawyer, who formed part of Mwangaza’s legal team, opined that a majority of the impeachment motions presented to Senate, have been as a result of MCAs demands not being met by their governors.

“Out of the 14 impeachment motions that have reached the Senate, only three have been approved. This is because the MCAs are using the power to impeach a sitting governor as their bargaining tool. You either give us what we want or we impeach you…” said Ongoya.

According to the advocate, the power of impeachment was never supposed to be used as ‘blackmail.’

“If you come across a situation where the MCAs want to impeach a governor because they have been denied a retreat which they hoped to get per diems from, then that becomes a violation of our laws,” he said.

His remarks come at a time when Meru MCAs have tabled a petition at the County Assembly seeking to impeach seven County Executive Members, the County Secretary, Chief of Staff and Chief Officers.

This is barely weeks after the Senate ruled in Mwangaza’s favour, saving her from a second impeachment.

A lobby group in Meru County together with a section of its residents has begun the process of collecting signatures to dissolve the county government.

Addressing the press on Monday, November 20, the residents said that the wrangles between Governor Mwangaza and Meru MCAs are frustrating the implementation of development in that county.

“After the last Senate ruling we thought the MCAs and the Governor will now set aside their differences and work together. However, they continue to show us that they are not ready to work with the governor and that is why we have started this process,” said Nick Mburugu, a resident of Meru County.

According to the residents, anyone who thinks is a better candidate than Mwangaza should challenge her in the ballot and not through endless impeachment motions at the expense of those who elected her.