Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, in a gazette notice on Tuesday, August 13, announced that the Senate will hold a special sitting on the ouster of Governor Mwangaza on Wednesday, August 14.
For the third time running, the Senate is set to deliberate on the impeachment motion against Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza, just a few days after she was ousted for the third time by Members of the Meru County Assembly.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, in a gazette notice on Tuesday, August 13, announced that the Senate will hold a special sitting on the ouster of Governor Mwangaza on Wednesday, August 14.
“PURSUANT to the standing order 33 (1) of the Senate Standing Orders, on the request of the Senate Majority Leader with the support of the requisite member of Senate: AND FURTHER UPON receipt of a letter from the Speaker of the County Assembly of Meru dated 9th August 2024, and received in the Office of the Speaker of the Senate on 9th August 2024, by which the Speaker of the County Assembly of Meru informed the Speaker of the Senate of the approval of a Motion for the several from office by impeachment of Ms Kawita Mwangaza, the Governor of Meru County,” reads part of the notice.
The Senate during a past session. /SENATE KENYA
“I have appointed Wednesday, 14th August 2024 as a day for a special sitting of the Senate. The sitting shall be held in the Senate Chamber, Main Parliament Buildings, Nairobi, commencing at 2.30 p.m. The business to the transacted at the sitting shall be the hearing of the charges against Ms. Kawira Mwangaza, the Governer of Meru County.”
Kingi however noted that the business stipulated in the notice shall be the only business before the Senate during the special sitting, afterwhich it shall stand adjourned until Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 2:30 pm, in accordance with the Senate calendar.
On Thursday, August 8, MCAs voted to impeach her on charges of abuse of office, gross misconduct and gross violation of the Constitution and other laws.
40 out of 69 members of the county assembly voted in favour of the impeachment motion tabled by Deputy Majority Party Leader Zipporah Kinya, meeting the two-thirds threshold. Another 17 voted against the impeachment motion, while three did not vote.
The latest move adds to the times she has faced impeachment since her election as governor in the 2022 August general elections.
She survived two of them before this one, thanks to the Senate, which she will rely on to save her fortunes for the third successive time.
Mwangaza was first impeached in December 2022 but was saved by the Senate on December 30, 2022. She was again impeached by the Meru MCAs on October 26, 2023, but the senate again threw out the charges fronted against her.
Once again, at the Senate, Mwangaza will have the opportunity to appear before the House to defend herself throughout the investigations.
Should the Senate defeat the impeachment motion, it shall not be reintroduced on similar grounds, until after three months.
Should it uphold the motion, Mwangaza shall cease to hold office and Speaker Kingi shall notify the Meru County Assembly Speaker accordingly.
If a vacancy occurs, according to section 182 of the Constitution, the deputy governor shall assume office for the remainder of Mwangaza’s term.
However, the stakes are higher now, as the county assembly’s persistence in pushing for her removal has intensified, with chances of the Senate saving her from impeachment for the third time running hanging by a thread.
