The county boss on Monday, August 20 refuted all charges brought against her by the Meru County Assembly.
The Senate has upheld the impeachment of Governor Kawira Mwangaza by the Meru County Assembly, making her the first governor in the Kenya Kwanza regime to be removed from office.
Following the confirmation of her impeachment, Deputy Governor Mutuma M’Ethingia is set to take Mwangaza’s place and become the fourth governor of Meru County.
The Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot moved the motion to impeach Governor Kawira Mwangaza which was seconded by Senator Nderitu Kinyua.
The Senators then moved to vote on the following charges against her, a process that extended beyond the midnight hours of Wednesday, August 21:
- Count 1: Gross Violation of the Constitution and Other Laws- 26 voted yes, 4 no, with 14 abstentions
- Count 2: Gross Misconduct- 26 voted yes, 2 no, with 14 abstentions
- Count 3: Abuse of Office- 27 voted yes, 1 no, with 14 abstentions
Senate speaker Amason Kingi during a past address. /PARLIAMENT KENYA
Following the voting on the three charges, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi announced that Kawira Mwangaza had ceased to hold office.
“Pursuant to Article 181 of the Constitution, Section 33 of County Government Act and Standing Order 86 of the Senate Standing Orders, the Senate has resolved to remove from office by impeachment Hon. Kawira Mwangaza, the Governor of Meru County and the governor accordingly ceases to hold office,” Kingi announced.
The embattled, and now former county boss, had on Monday, August 19 refuted all charges brought against her by the Meru County Assembly.
During the first day of Senate hearings regarding her proposed removal from office through impeachment, Governor Mwangaza dismissed the three charges presented to her during the morning session. The charges include gross violation of the Constitution and other laws, gross misconduct, and abuse of office.
The Accusations
In the first charge, Governor Mwangaza is accused of grossly violating among others Articles 10(2), 27,41,47,73,232,235,236 and 251 of the Constitution. She was accused of violating the Public Officer Ethics Act, of 2003, the Leadership and Integrity Act, of 2012, the County Government Act, of 2012, the Public Appointments (County Assemblies Approval) Act, the Fair Administration Action Act, the Meru County Investment and Development Corporation Act, the Meru County Revenue Board Act.
The County Assembly accused Governor Kawira of illegally revoking the appointment of CPA Virginia Kawira Miriti as Secretary/CEO of the Meru County Public Service Board, without a vote of not less than 75 percent of all the members of the County Assembly and in the usurpation of the powers of the County Assembly contrary to sections 58(4) & (5) and 59A of the County Governments Act.
In addition, she was blamed for failing to appoint the Chairpersons of the Meru County Revenue Board, Meru Microfinance Corporation, Meru Youth Service Board, and Meru County Investment and Development Corporation Board as required by law thus failing to operationalize the said Boards, and/or illegally appointing the said Chairpersons without vetting and approval by the County Assembly contrary to section 4 of the Public Appointments (County Assemblies Approval) Act.
Furthermore, the Assembly accused the Meru Governor of Illegally dismissing Dr Ntoiti (CEO of the County Revenue Board), Paul Mwaki (CEO of Liquor Board), Kenneth Kimathi Mbae (Managing Director of Meru Microfinance Corporation) and Joseph Kithure Mberia (CEO, MEWASS).
In the second charge, Governor Kawira was accused of deliberately and knowingly misleading the public by giving false information that Ksh86 million had been raised through mobile banking means established after the murder of Daniel Muthiani alias Sniper while the correct position was that only Ksh286,516.00 was raised thus violating the moral and ethical requirements expected of State Officers.
In the third charge, the Meru County Assembly faulted Governor Kawira for irregular payment of emergency call allowances to 161 doctors and medical officers using the wrong rates leading to excessive payment of Ksh74.3 million and sse of manual payroll to pay personnel emoluments amounting to Ksh102.94 million (3.1 percent of Personnel Emoluments costs).
Embattled Meru Governor, Kawira Mwangaza during her swearing-in on September 11, 2022. /KAWIRA MWANGAZA
“The Members of the County Assembly are pointing fingers at the Governor for employing a bloated workforce, of at least 111 personal staff in the office of the Governor, thus contributing to an increase in the wage bill by more than Kshs. 500 million and an excessive wage Bill that is 49% of the annual revenue allocation far beyond the 35% limit set.
“She is further accused of paying Kiambi Christus Manyara, a Public Communication Officer in the office of the Governor his full salary and benefits while in remand and despite being accused of murder contrary to section 4.2 of the Public Service Commission Discipline Manual for the Public Service clarification,” Parliament revealed in a statement.
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.