Embattled Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza will face a moment of truth on Wednesday when the County Assembly will debate and take a vote on her impeachment motion.
At the same time, the Court of Appeal in Nyeri will on Wednesday also hear a case filed by the governor seeking to stop the Assembly from proceeding with the motion.
The governor is also backed by the Council of Governors in her bid to halt the debate and vote on the motion for her removal from office by impeachment.
The MCAs on Monday completed mandatory public participation hearings in nine sub-counties and retreated to write a final report that will be tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday.
The motion enjoys the backing of at least 12 Meru MPs, Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi and the revered Njuri Ncheke Council of Elders.
The motion has been backed by 57 MCAs who appended their signatures to the motion.
Just like last year, the governor has linked her troubles to the 2027 general elections and politicians, who she said are sponsoring the bid to eject her.
On Wednesday morning ahead of her impeachment motion, Mwangaza asked Kenyans to pray for her so that justice would be done.
"Please pray for our County of Meru. Please Pray For Me, Pray For Justice," she posted on her official Facebook account.
This will be the second time in less than a year that the county assembly is seeking to impeach the governor who was saved by the Senate in December 2022.
Mwangaza was last year acquitted by senators after an 11-member Senate Special Committee appointed to probe the grounds for her impeachment submitted returned a not-guilty verdict.
The panel, which was chaired by Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, submitted before the Senate that the committee had voted unanimously in its decision to overturn Kawira's impeachment.
The panel had said the MCAs did not prove any of the allegations they levelled against the governor.
If the special committee had upheld Kawira's impeachment, the report would have been debated in the House for members to vote and determine her fate.
In the current impeachment motion, Kawira is accused of seven counts including gross misconduct, misappropriation of county funds and usurpation of the law and the constitution.
Other allegations are bypassing the Assembly on some appointments, naming a public road after her husband and failing to honour summons by the local legislature.
The motion which was tabled in the Assembly last week by Majority Leader Evans Mawira of Mitunguu Ward is widely expected to sail through when MCAs take a vote on Wednesday.
Last year, when Abogeta West MCA Dennis Kiogora proposed a motion to impeach Mwangaza, an overwhelming 67 MCAs out of 69 voted in favour of it.
Mwangaza told the then Khalwale-led committee that she had tried her best to ensure the smooth running of the county as she denied the 62 allegations levelled against her.
The allegations included nepotism and irregular appointments, abuse of office, and gross violation of the constitution and other county laws.
The governor was then at pains to explain why she was at loggerheads with local elected leaders barely four months after assuming office.
"I am not guilty of any of the 62 grounds being raised to have me kicked out of office. I have tried my level best to serve the people of Meru who elected me," Mwangaza told the committee on December 28, 2022.
The governor then called some witnesses including Meru County Chief of Staff Harrison Gitonga who denied that her boss had made illegal appointments as alleged by MCAs.
He said the governor's husband Murega Baichu was not a staff of the county government.
He was, however, put to task by the committee for allegedly usurping the powers of the County Public Service Secretary.
"I wrote to the Meru County Public Service Board seeking clarification on the alleged employment of Murega Baichu and I was informed that he was not an employee of the County Government," he said.
Linturi, who lost to Mwangaza in the last elections wants the governor impeached.
Speaking on Friday, the CS claimed that the people of Meru have made it clear that they want Governor Mwangaza out.
"Meru is simply saying Kawira must go," he said.
Njuri Ncheke Council of Elders has endorsed the impeachment motion signifying the deepening crisis in Meru County.
Njuri Ncheke secretary general Josphat Murangiri accused Mwangaza of operating as a lone ranger hence the support for her impeachment.
He said her actions have exacerbated the divisions within Meru County.
"We are supporting the impeachment of Kawira Mwangaza as she has disregarded the call to work with all leaders in Meru County," Murangiri said.
Murangiri said the elders will not support anyone who has violated the unity of the Meru people and their neighbours.
He endorsed Kawira’s Deputy Governor Isaac Mutuma to take over the leadership in case she loses her seat.
Some elders from Tigania West, Tigania East, and Tigania Central expressed their dissent with the council’s move.
Elder Adriano Aruyaru, a representative from Tigania West, said he is opposed to the endorsement.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua recently pleaded with political and religious figures in Meru to unite and solve their differences.
“I plead with you to unite and to look for peace for the development of Meru County. We are people of the mountain and our unity is our strength,” he said.