Five file petition to halt Mwangaza impeachment

Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

Five Meru residents have filed a petition at the High Court, seeking to halt the County Assembly's impeachment public participation forums aimed at Governor Kawira Mwangaza.

This petition emerged shortly after Meru Assembly Clerk Jacob Kirari issued dates for residents to express their opinions regarding the MCAs' second attempt to remove Governor Mwangaza.

Their first impeachment effort failed last December.

The petitioners are requesting that the public participation process be suspended, citing concerns that "it is almost certain that Mwangaza will be hounded out of office in the most callous and unlawful means reminiscent of the dark pre-2010 era in Kenya's democratic space."

The five petitioners are Bonface Koome, Wilfred Murithi Kiirma, Godfrey Kinoti Nturibi, Faith Wanja Andrew, and Joshua Mwirigi Mugiira.

They have named the respondents in the case as the County Assembly of Meru, assembly clerk, Speaker, MCA Evans Mawira, and Minority Leader Mwenda Ithili.

The petitioners said unless the court intervenes to address "the very clear abuse of authority by the County Assembly of Meru and MPs from Meru, as well as certain members from the national government (the Executive)," the removal of Mwangaza from office will constitute a significant breach of the Constitution.

This, they argued, would set a detrimental precedent for the independence of democratically elected officeholders, including independent candidates with no party affiliations.

Represented by Kiogora Mugambi and acting under a certificate of urgency, the five said the impeachment motion  was incompetent, flawed, and grounded in incomplete investigations.

The petition is currently in chambers, awaiting court directives, and is scheduled for review before Justice Thripsisa Cherere.

As the impeachment motion is slated for debate on October 25, Assembly Clerk Jacob Kirari has released a list of venues in nine sub-counties where the public participation forums will be conducted on October 23. 

The petitioners said the clerk omitted Buuri East, Buuri West, Igoji, Kiengu, Tigania Central, Imenti East, Abogeta and Nkune/Mitunguu. 

They said the process of removal of Mwangaza could not be undertaken to the exclusion of the public.