Mwangaza and deputy clash over nepotism, exclusion claims

Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza (right) and her deputy Isaac Mutuma during the hearing of her impeachment petition at Parliament Buildings. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza and her deputy Isaac Mutuma are on a collision course barely a year in office. At the heart of their fights are claims of nepotism, sabotage and exclusion.

Mutuma said the governor no longer invites him to executive meetings, his official vehicles had been withdrawn, and some of the staff assigned to him sacked.

However, Mwangaza dismissed the claims, saying the sacked staff had no required academic qualifications.

Mwangaza and other officers also said some of the staff in Mutuma's office were his family members.

Mwangaza, a Bishop at Baite Family Fellowship (BFF), and Mutuma, also a Reverend in the Methodist Church in Kenya, no longer enjoy the close political relationship they had in the run-up to last year's election and the early days of their administration.

Mutuma said his first official vehicle was withdrawn and handed to the Department of Water, while his second was given to the governor's political advisor.

"I have not been invited to cabinet meetings since May," he said.

"My office has been denied operation funds and I'm not consulted on the appointment of executives, chief officers and directors," Mutuma claimed.

Mutuma defended the fact that some of his staff were close to him, saying the law allows one to have people they can trust. "The law allows one to have people (employees) you can trust, even for security purposes. Even the governor has people she trusts working with her," he said.

But Mwangaza produced a letter from the County Public Service Board approving the sacking of Mutuma's staff. "We sacked staff with fake degrees," she said.

The board's acting Secretary/CEO Virginia Kawira said they carried out verification of credentials of all the appointees in the governor's office, and some had fake degrees.

Mwangaza and Mutuma beat now Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi (UDA) and incumbent Kiraitu Murungi of the Devolution Empowerment Party (DEP) in last year's elections on an independent ticket.

The two clerics from different ministries rode on Mwangaza's 'Okolea kana ka Meru', a charitable programme for vulnerable people in the grassroots.

But barely a year after their triumph over the two political titans, Mwangaza and Mutuma are on a collision course.