Senate plenary to hear governor Mwangaza's impeachment case for two days

By Peter Ochieng

Embattled Meru governor Bishop Kawira Mwangaza will face the Senate plenary for two days on Monday and Tuesday next week, to determine whether she will survive the third impeachment attempt since being elected in 2022, or not.

The former Meru Women Representative was impeached again last week, after two previous attempts ended at the hands of the Senate.

On Wednesday afternoon, Senators voted against a motion proposing the establishment of a Special Committee to hear the grounds for Mwangaza's impeachment, as announced by Speaker Amason Jeffa Kingi.

"The majority leader moved the motion at order no.8 of the establishment of a special committee to investigate the proposed removal from office by impeachment of Kawira Mwangaza. The motion has been negatived."

"The route of the special committee is abandoned and the Senate will investigate the proposed removal from office by the impeachment of Kawira Mwangaza in plenary pursuant to section 33 (3a) of the County Government Act," added the former Kilifi governor.

Senators maintained that the plenary would allow Kenyans and the Meru people to follow up on the case in real time.

ODM deputy party leader and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi is among legislatures who opposed the Special Committee way.

"The situation of Meru is a very complex one and requires serious thinking because we don't want to make a decision and then we are told to deal with the same. There may be instances where we might need to look at provisions of Article 192 of the Constitution; whether to suspend the county and send everyone home or not. That can be done executively in a committee, in a report which can be sent to the president for action."

"I know the plenary way is more popular but the most effective one in this circumstance is the committee way. I want to ask members to support the members so that we deal with this problem once and for all," he added.

As such, Speaker Kingi directed the Senate Clerk to issue invitations for appearance to the parties involved in the case.

Relevant parties would then be required to file the responses with the office of the Clerk of the Senate before 5pm on Saturday.

Mwangaza was impeached on three grounds of gross violation of the constitution and other laws, gross misconduct, and abuse of office.