Governor Mwangaza seeks for help in tussle with MCAs

By Peter Ochieng

Meru governor Kawira Mwagaza has called for help, as she continues to tussle with Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) who reportedly want her out of office.

In a letter to Senate Speaker Amason Jeffa Kingi, the first term county boss elected as an independent candidate wants members of the Senate standing committee on devolution, to take charge of mediation talks, between her and the county legislatures.

She claims that all elected leaders in the county including her deputy governor Mutuma M'ithinkia, are against her.

"In the spirit of reconciliation and well aware that the Senate Standing Committee in charge of devolution is in a position to mediate over these perceived differences between myself, the Deputy Governor and the County Assembly; I write to you to invite the said Committee to intervene," she says in the letter.

"All members of the County Assembly who have directly expressed their support for my government are being harassed either by the Minority Whip of the Assembly or the Majority Whip. This has reached the extent that some of the members have been removed from the sectoral committees of the house," she adds.

She is staring at another round of impeachment process, after the Senate saved her last year.

Meru County MCAs overwhelmingly voted in favour of her ouster, before the Senate came to her rescue in December, 2022.

67 of the 69 MCAs impeached her on December 14, 2022. Governor Mwangaza faced five accusations, among them abuse of office.

She pleaded not guilty to all charges, before 11-member Senate special committee that was chaired by Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, ruled that allegations levelled against her were not substantiated by the MCAs.

She is among the seven female governors elected in August, 2022, but she is the only one elected as an independent candidate.