- In a special gazette notice dated August 12, Kingi acknowledged that he had received a letter from the Speaker of the County Assembly of Meru dated August 9, 2024.
- In the letter, the Speaker of the County Assembly of Meru informed the Speaker of the Senate of the approval of a Motion for the removal from office by impeachment of Mwangaza.
Image: PCS
Speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi has convened a special sitting on Wednesday, August 14, for the hearing of charges against impeached Meru County governor Kawira Mwangaza.
In a special gazette notice dated August 12, Kingi acknowledged that he had received a letter from the Speaker of the County Assembly of Meru dated August 9, 2024.
In the letter, the Speaker of the County Assembly of Meru informed the Speaker of the Senate of the approval of a Motion for the removal from office by impeachment of Mwangaza.
"I have appointed Wednesday, August 14, 2024, as a day for a special sitting of the Senate. The sitting shall be held in the Senate Chamber, Main Parliament Buildings, Nairobi, commencing at 2.30 pm," Kingi said.
"The business to be transacted at the sitting shall be the hearing of the charges against Kawira Mwangaza, the Governor of Meru County."
Kingi said after the hearing, the Senate shall stand adjourned until Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 2:30 pm in accordance with the Senate calendar.
Mwangaza was on Thursday, August 8, impeached for the third time in two years after MCAs voted in favour of the ouster motion.
The embattled Governor was hounded out of the office after 49 MCAs voted in support of the motion against 17 who rejected it.
Three members failed to avail themselves at the assembly for the impeachment vote.
Nominated MCA Zipporah Kinya accused Mwangaza of three counts: gross violations of the constitution, gross misconduct and abuse of office.
In the gross violation of the constitution and other laws, Kinya said Mwangaza illegally revoked the appointment of Virginia Kawira as the secretary of the county public service board.
"It is only the county assembly who have the mandate to revoke the appointment of the secretary county public service board," she said.
The deputy majority leader said Mwangaza failed to appoint the Chairperson 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 failing to operationalize the said Boards.
She went ahead to state that Mwangaza refused to implement the recommendations and resolutions of the County Assembly requiring the Governor to dismiss the County Secretary Kiambi Athiru Thambura, and the Chief of Staff Harrison Gatobu Nchamba Mbithi from office for gross violation of the Constitution.
She said county secretary Athiru and chief of staff Gatobu have also been illegally hiring and firing staff but Mwangaza did not take any action.
Still on that count of gross violation of the constitution and other laws, Kinya accused Mwangaza 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) in the usurpation of the powers of the appointing authorities contrary to section 9 (7)(b) of the Meru County Revenue Board Act and section 10(6) of the Meru County Investment and Development Corporation Act.
As a result of the action, Kinya said the County Government of Meru has been slapped with costs and damages amounting to Sh4 million by the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
On gross misconduct, the nominated MCA said Mwangaza lied to the public saying that the fundraiser for the family of deceased Daniel Muthiani popularly known as Sniper raised Sh86m.
"The governor of Meru was in the media saying that Sh86 million was raised while only Sh.286,000 was fundraiser. This forced the deceased wife to be insecure as she feared she might be attacked by robbers," she said.
She said the county boss deliberately and knowingly misled the public by giving false information that Sh86 million had been raised through the Paybill number 247247 Account Number 0400163917899 established after the murder of Daniel Muthiani alias Sniper while the correct position is that only Sh.286,516 was raised.
This, Kinya said, violated 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.
On abuse of office, she said according to the Auditors General's report, the governor has employed 111 workers and out of those 79 cleaners in the office yet they are not visible.