Africa-Press – Kenya. The Senate committee probing the grounds for the impeachment of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza will have its first sitting on Tuesday. The 11-member Special Committee will start to hear the charges against Kawira at 8. am at the Senate Chamber.
The committee will probe the grounds of the governor’s ouster and establish if the accusations levelled against her warrant a removal. The committee has up to December 30 to deliver its findings.
If the committee finds that the reasons for the removal of the governor are weighty, then it will recommend the ejection of Kawira. The entire House has to vote to either endorse the recommendation or reject it.
If a majority of the senators vote to uphold the impeachment then the governor ceases to hold office. Kawira Mwangaza became the first county boss to be impeached on December 14, barely three months after being sworn in.
The senators who will sit on the committee are; Boni Khalwale (Kakamega), Jackson Mandango (Uasin Gishu), Karungo Thangwa (Kiambu), Esther Okenyuri (Nominated), Roba Ali Ibrahim (Mandera) and Peris Tobiko (Nominated).
Others are Eddy Gicheru Oketch (Migori), Joseph Githuku Kamau (Lamu), Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi), Agnes Muthama (Machakos) and Johnes Mwaruma (Taita Taveta).
On November 22, 2022, Abogeta West MCA Dennis Kiogora proposed a motion to impeach Mwangaza over allegations of abuse of office. Barely a month later, 68 of the 69 Meru MCAs voted in favour of the motion.
Only Kiagu MCA Simon Ngaruni did not support the motion saying the county boss had not done anything to warrant her removal from office. Among the things that angered the MCAs include Kawira’s decision to appoint her husband Baichu Murega as the patron of the Meru Youth Service She is also accused of reappointing county secretary Rufus Miriti without the approval of MCAs.
The ward reps further argue that the appointment of Munene Samaritan as Director of Special Programmes, Ernest Mutembei as the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Henry Mzungu as Director of Administration, and Hillary Sandy as Director of Communications were in violation of the law. According to them, the appointments were not done in accordance with procedures set out in the Constitution.
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