Governor Mwangaza downplays differences with her deputy

 Meru Deputy Governor Isaac Mutuma, Governor Kawira Mwangaza and lawyer Elius Mutuma at the Senate in Nairobi on December 3, 2023. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Meru governor Kawira Mwangaza has downplayed the differences she has with her deputy Isaac Mutuma saying the matter has been blown out of proportion.

The governor said the issues they have differed on are not as major as they have been made to appear.

She said she has had some issues with Mutuma and this has majorly been over his failure to execute the assignments she delegated to him even as she denied the matter is too serious as has been reported.

However, the governor also accused Mutuma of working with her political adversaries to undermine her.

"He must be ready to work with me so we can quickly deliver projects we promised the people of Meru ahead of last year's elections," said Mwangaza when was hosted on the vernacular Muuga FM on Friday, September 8, 2023.

“There are no significant differences as people are making it appear. I was elected governor of Meru and I picked him to be my deputy. I am delivering on my mandate as governor. He knows if he is doing his work, as the deputy governor, or not,” she said.

She said Mutuma was consorting with those fighting her, including Tigania East MP Mpuru Aburi.

“I said anybody in the county (government) who is not able to work with the speed we need to serve Meru might as well get out. That is not an insult,” she said.

Mwangaza also said she read malice in the establishment of an oversight programme by the Meru senator Kithuri Murungi, saying that she is being targeted.

“That is pure politics because there are people who want to vie for (governor) seat in 2027 and are looking for ways to do it. They hoped to impeach me but failed. They will fail again,” Mwangaza said.

Mutuma had accused his boss of relocating his office to another building without consulting him. However, Mwangaza downplayed this move terming the relocation of Mutuma's office as a normal procedure.

“Even President William Ruto's office and that of his deputy Gachagua are not in the same block,” she said.