Court postpones ruling on governor Mwangaza’s impeachment process

By Peter Ochieng

Meru governor Kawira Mwangaza is banking her hopes on the Supreme Council of Ameru Elders, popularly known as Njuri Njeke, after the Meru High Court on Monday postponed the ruling on a petition seeking to halt her impeachment for office.

The court differed the ruling to August 20, 2024 in order to give room for talks through the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism. Justice Linus Kassan said he will issue new directions on August 20, after getting a report from Njuri Njeke.

“To promote an active ADR, ruling is deferred to August 20, 2024. That Njuri Njeke Supreme Council of Ameru elders are hereby advised to submit their resolutions or lack of it between the parties herein not later than three weeks,” he directed.

Additionally, the judge directed Members of the Meru County Assembly (MCAs) and the embattled governor to appear before the Njuri Njeke Council with their counsels on Wednesday, this week.

Through her lawyer Elias Mutuma, the governor told the court the current impeachment attempt was nothing but a political witch-hunt by his detractors. She pointed out what she said were external forces seeking to edge her out of office, based on political differences.

Mid this month, a fresh impeachment motion was tabled against Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza, the third since she assumed office in 2022.

The motion was tabled by deputy majority leader Zipporah Kinya, with three counts levelled against the governor. They are gross violation of the Constitution, gross violation of various national and county laws and an alleged abuse of office.

“Public petitions have been presented to the county assembly including petition No. 5 of 2023 brought by 1,611 members of the public and statements have been sought by the members of the county assembly on the various gross violations and instances of abuse of office by the governor and recommendations made by the county assembly on the various gross violations,” Kinya stated.

She told the Assembly that several reconciliation efforts to resolve the issues raised by the public and members of the county assembly had failed to bear fruits.

Governor Mwangaza has previously been impeached twice by the Meru County Assembly but on both occasions, she was saved by the Senate prompting her to call for dissolution of the county as stipulated in the constitution.