By Lerte Tellah
Meru residents have taken to the streets, demanding that embattled Governor Kawira Mwangaza vacate her office. The protesters marched to the county government offices, insisting that Mwangaza is unlawfully holding the position.
The situation escalated as police were forced to disperse the demonstrators with tear gas after they set fires outside the county offices. The protesters claimed that Mwangaza had “sneaked” into the offices in a vehicle without license plates.
One resident, speaking to the media, stated, “Today is just a warm-up. Tomorrow morning by 5 am, we will be here to ensure she doesn’t access the office.”
The protesters argued that the office of the Governor of Meru County should now belong to Deputy Governor Mutuma M’Ethingia. They maintained that Mwangaza is an impeached governor, despite any legal orders blocking her removal.
Mwangaza was impeached by the Meru County Assembly, with 40 out of 69 members voting to remove her from office for the third time since her swearing-in. The Senate upheld her impeachment last week, citing gross violations of the constitution and other laws, gross misconduct, and abuse of office.
Mwangaza became the third governor in Kenya to be removed from office through impeachment, following the ousters of Ferdinand Waititu (Kiambu) and Mike Sonko (Nairobi) in 2020.
However, her removal was temporarily blocked after Justice Bahati Mwamuye issued an order preventing Senate Speaker Amason Kingi from declaring a vacancy in the office of the Governor of Meru County in the Kenya Gazette Notice.
The judge’s decision came after Mwangaza’s lawyer, Elias Mutuma, argued that the Senate had allowed the reintroduction of charges previously dismissed in a 2023 impeachment motion without thoroughly examining the evidence. Mwangaza explained that these issues are still pending court determination following the first impeachment motion last year.
“There has been an urgency to remove me from office and install another person, which may be done hurriedly to frustrate me. That’s why this application should be heard urgently,” Mwangaza told the court.
This marks the third time Mwangaza has faced impeachment by the Meru MCAs.
