Meru Assembly speaker directs a joint committee to look into the petition seeking to impeach government officials

Meru,

Tuesday, November 21, 2023,

KNA by Dickson Mwiti

 A report concerning a petition presented to the Meru County Assembly seeking the impeachment of some of the County executive members will be ready in the next fourteen days. This comes after the Assembly Speaker Mr Ayub Bundi, today directed the committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Cohesion, and the Labour and Public Administration committees to look into the petition that was signed by 1,611 members of the public drawn from all the 45 wards in the county and come up with a final report within the given timeframe.

 Among those listed for impeachment include the County Secretary Kiambi Atheru, Chief of Staff Nchamba Mbithi, County Executive Committee Members (CECMs)CPA Monicah Kathono (Finance), Mr Dickson Munene (Legal Affairs and Public Service), Mr Jackson Muthamia (Water), Mr Thuranira Ithana (Agriculture), Miss Harriet Makena (Trade), Dr George Mungania (Health) and Mr Ibrahim Mutwiri (Roads).

 Others are Chief officers including Mr James Mutia (Cooperatives), Mr Victor Akwalu (Agriculture), and Ms Joyce Kagwiria (Education).

The petitioners have listed their main reason for the impeachment of the said office holders being that on November 7 and 8, during the senate hearing of the impeachment motion for the removal from office of Governor Kawira Mwangaza, she consistently put a defence on the accusations levelled against her and blamed all the constitutional and statutory laws violations on her junior officers and appointees in the executive.

They also want the assembly to recall all acting chief officers to their substantive original positions, and additional ones to be appointed through the assembly.

 They further argue that all the acting chief officers have been illegally appointed in the office as acting chief officers in total contravention of the human resource policies and procedures manual for the Public Service Board 2016.

 The joint committee to look into the petition will be chaired by Nominated MCA Gacheri Muthuri who said that they will keenly look at the petition and expedite their mandate as per the constitution in order to serve justice to both the petitioners and the officers in question.

  “We know our roles as the committee and we want to tell the petitioners and the people of Meru that we are up to the task. We will summon those mentioned in the petition as well as the petitioners in order to hear from both sides before we write our final report,” said Ms Muthuri.

Similar sentiments were issued by the labour and public administration Chairman Mr Martin Koome Makasi (Nkuene MCA) who said that they will carry out their mandate without any favour or intimidation in order to give justice where it is due.

 “We want to thank the petitioners for having trust in the county assembly and the powers bestowed upon them by the constitution. We assure them that will work within the given timeframe to serve them as they deserve,” said Mr Makasi.

Courtesy ; KNA