Meru MCAs deny witchunt, insist Mwangaza unfit to serve » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 19 — Meru County Assembly has defended the third impeachment attempt on Governor Kawira Mwangaza, dismmissing allegations of malice.
The County Assembly told the Senate on Monday it had enough evidence to prove the county boss is unfit to hold office.
In its preliminary submissions before Senate, the County Assembly’s legal team allayed assertions that the third impeachment motion against the embattled Governor is mere malice pointing out she has contravened Chapter Six of the Constitution.
The lead legal counsel, Ndegwa Njiru, confidently assured senators they have evidence to defend their case urging senators to deliver justice.
“For the third time this cannot be malice or personal vendetta. Accountability is the gateway to earn trust,” he said.
Njiru promised to produce evidence on the misuse of taxayers resources “at the behest of the governor”.
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.
Meru County Assembly defended its decision to take Mwangaza back to the Senate saying it is well within their oversight role.
“Holding someone accountable is out of love. It shows the love Meru County Assembly has for the people of Meru County,”Njiru stated.
Counsel Boniface Mawira, who is part of Meru County Assembly legal team, argued issues bedeviling Meru County have emanated from poor leadership by Governor Mwangaza through mismanagement of county affairs.
“It’s not merely for the joy of it that the Meru County Assembly is appearing. Clearly there’s a problem and MCAs have diagnosed it and are calling on Senators to deal with it,” Mawira told Senators.
Meru ward representatives alluded to attempts by Governor Mwangaza to stifle their oversight role citing threats and attempted assaults on the eve of the impeachment motion against the Governor.
Threats and intimidation
“There have been threats and intimidation and attempted assault on the eve of debate of impeachment motion. The Governor has tried to armtwist the county assembly in the oversight role,” Mawira averred.
The legal counsel insisted the have the requisite threshold of evidence to prove before the House that Governor Mwangaza is unfit to hold office.
“Is gender a shield that one can’t [be] held accountable because you are male or female? The MCAs had no recourse but to come to the Senate to seek recourse of devolution which is dying in Meru County,” Mawira observed.
Ward representatives accussed Mwangaza of illegally revoking the appointment of Virginia Miriti as Secretary of the Meru County Public Service Board without concurrent of the Assembly an in usurpation of the powers of the County Assembly contrary to sections 58(4) & (5) and 59A of the County Governments Act.
They also accussed the Governor of gross misconduct by deliberately misleading the public that a fundsdrive in honour of a local blogger realised Sh86 million.
The MCAs said the fundsdrive only raised Sh286,516 and thus, in misleading the public, Mwangaza violated 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.
The ward representatives also contested what they termed as the irregular payment of emergency call allowances to 161 doctors and medical officers using inflated rates leading to excessive payment of Sh 74.3 million contrary to sections45 (2) and 46 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, sections 11 and 15 of the Public Officer Ethics Act and section 72 (1) of the Leadership and Integrity Act.
The County Assembly further took issue with Mwanga’s failure 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.
The Assembly also told the Senate that Mwangaza declined 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.
They accussed her 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 County Asembly listed a 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) among county staff irregularly dismmissed by Mwangaza.
They accussed Mwangaza of using a manual payroll to pay personnel emoluments amounting to Sh102.94 million (3.1 per cent of Personnel Emoluments costs) contrary to Section 67.6 of the County Financial Accounting and Reporting Manual.
MCAs also claimed 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 Sh500 million.
The County Assembly contended that as a result, the wagebill had spiked to 49 per cent far beyond the 35 per cent limit set under Section 25(1)(a) and (b) of the Public Finance Management (CountyGovernments) Regulations, 2015.
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