Twice bitten? Meru MCAs table second impeachment motion against Kawira Mwangaza

Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza. [File, Standard]

Meru County MCAs have tabled a motion to impeach Governor Kawira Mwangaza.

The Members of the County Assembly are accusing Mwangaza of abuse of office, gross violation of various national and county laws, and gross misconduct.

While tabling the motion on Tuesday, October 17, Mituguu MCA Evans Mawira accused the governor of discreditable acts despite surviving a previous impeachment in December 2022.

"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," said Mawira.

Governor Mwangaza has been accused of excluding her Deputy, Isaac Mutuma from County Executive Committee meetings and other official functions.

"Encouraging and condoning insubordination and the making of insulting and demeaning public utterances by subordinate staff against the Deputy Governor and other elected leaders," he added.

The governor has also been accused of nepotism where she is said to have employed her husband's nephew as the CEO of Meru Youth Service (MYS) and Acting Chief Officer of the Department of Finance.

In one instance, the MCAs accuse Mwangaza of sending her relatives in the guise of a “technical team” to travel to China to inspect and certify cancer treatment equipment.

She has also been accused of contempt of court following an order issued by the Employment and Labour Relations Court on September 29, 2023.

The MCAs had last year in December tabled another motion of impeachment against Mwangaza due to various violations of the Constitution, including nepotism and irregular employment and financial practices.

However, the Senate saved her after a committee chaired by Senator Boni Khalwale said that the MCAs had not provided sufficient evidence.