Kingi gazettes special sittings to hear impeachment charges against Mwangaza » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 16 – Senators will now officially hear the charges against Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza on Monday 19th August and Tuesday 20th August in the Senate Chamber by way of Plenary.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi formalized the proceedings after he issued a gazette notice as stipulated in the standing orders.
The house will also consider the report on the approval hearings of Inspector-General of the National Police Service Douglas Kanja Kirocho following his vetting.
On Thursday, Joint committee of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security and the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations concluded the vetting and retreated for report writing.
“AND THAT pursuant to standing order 30 (1), as read together with standing order 1 of the Senate Standing Orders, on the request of the Senate Majority Leader and with the support of the requisite number of Senators, I have appointed Monday, 19th August, 2024, and Tuesday, 20th August, 2024, as days for special sittings of the Senate,” Kingi stated.
In a vote, the Senate opted to consider the impeachment grounds through plenary rather than a special committee, with five out of the 11 proposed senators voting against the committee approach.
Mwangaza’s charges
The Governor is facing accusations of gross violation of the Constitution of Kenya, gross violation of various national and county laws and abuse of office which are equivalent to the charges she faced in the two previous occasions in which the Senate dismissed the impeachment motions.
Mwangaza is accused of Illegally revoking the appointment of Virginia Miriti as Secretary of the Meru County Public Service Board, without a vote of not less than 75% of all the members of the County Assembly.
The Meru county boss is also accused of 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 he failed to operationalize the said Boards and 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.
“ The respective Secretariats of the said Boards continue to draw and expend public funds without duly appointed Board members to exercise a supervisory role over the Boards’ Secretariats in order to ensure accountability in the spending of funds, thus jeopardizing service delivery,” said Kinya.
The Meru Governor is accused of refusing to implement the recommendations of the County Assembly requiring the Governor to dismiss the County Secretary, Dr. Kiambi Thambura, and the Chief of Staff Harrison Mbithi from office for gross violation of the Constitution and other laws.
Mwangaza is facing charges of blatantly ignoring or failing to submit a report to the County Assembly on the implementation of the said recommendations within sixty (60) days as required in the Report of the County Assembly dated 23rd December 2023, contrary to Article 183(3) of the Constitution.
The Governor is accused of Illegally dismissing Dr Ntoiti (CEO of County Revenue Board), Paul Mwaki (CEO of Liquor Board), Kenneth Kimathi Mbae (Managing Director of Meru Microfinance Corporation) and Joseph Kithure Mberia (CEO, MEWASS).
“She is accused of usurping powers of the appointing authorities contrary to section 9 (7)(b) of the Meru County Revenue Board Act and section 10(6) of Meru County Investment and Development Corporation Act, a result of which the County Government of Meru has been slapped with costs and damages amounting to Kshs. 4 million by the Employment and Labour Relations Court,” the documents read.
The Governor is accused of engaging in gross misconduct by deliberately misleading the public by giving false information that Sh 86 million had been raised through the Paybill number 247247 Account Number 04001 6391 7899 established after the murder of Daniel Muthiani alias Sniper.
The correct position being only Sh 286,516.00 was raised violating the moral and ethical requirements expected of State Officers, contrary to section 19 of the Public Officer Ethics Act and section 29 of the Leadership and Integrity Act.
Mwangaza is accused of the irregular payment of emergency call allowances to 161 doctors and medical officers using the wrong rates leading to excessive payment of Sh 74.3 million contrary to the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act ,Public Officer Ethics Act and Leadership and Integrity Act.
The Governor is accused of using a manual payroll to pay personnel emoluments amounting to Sh 102.94 million (3.1% of Personnel Emoluments costs) contrary to Section 67.6 of the County Financial Accounting and Reporting Manual.
The Governor is also accused of employing a bloated workforce, of at least 111 personal staff in the office of the Governor contributing to an increase in the wage bill by more than Sh 500 million an excessive wage Bill that is 49% of the annual revenue allocation far beyond the 35% limit.
She is accused of Paying 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.
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