Why Governor Mwangaza should go – Meru Assembly

Meru County Assembly lead counsel Ndegwa Njiru has told the Senate that there is a fundamental reason that underlies the ability of embattled Governor Kawira Mwangaza to govern.

He noted that this is the third time that the Senate has been called to interrogate her ability to lead, resulting from a trust deficit in her.

In his opening remarks on Monday, Njiru told the House that they will present evidence showing how Mwangaza's alleged reckless statements have broken down families and affected her eligibility to Chapter Six of the Constitution.

The chapter focuses on leadership and integrity.

Njiru went on to allege that at the behest of the governor, money and resources have been misused.

"At the behest of her inability to govern the resources, her inability to manage the County Government of Meru, her inability to be in charge of the county. That is the case that we have before you,"  Njiru claimed.

"We have identified the problem. It is a problem of accountability and mismanagement, the problem rests with Governor Kawira. Service delivery has been compromised."

He lamented that when she is called to answer to the allegations, Mwangaza "has manufactured a serious safety valve that makes sure that she is never held to account for her actions, she blames others".

The advocate alleged that Meru has lost, courtesy of maintaining a manual payroll, Sh212 million due to the alleged inability to manage the county.

He stated that Mwangaza has not been able to manage her human resources, alleging that when proper procedures are called out by the employees, they are victimised.

"We will bring cases where the county assembly has attempted to hold accountable the governor, reports made before the county assembly, summons issued, recommendations made and the governor declines with contempt, ridicule and spite on the part of the county assembly," Njiru claimed.

He alleged a witness who is currently displaced from her matrimonial home courtesy of the responsibility of the governor and her inability to manage how she relates with the members of the public.

Lawyer Boniface Mawira told the Senate that Kawira has allegedly been involved in forgery of documents, filed before the House meant to deflect the attention from the real issues.

"The real issue, for example, is that forgery relates to a specific act by the governor in revoking the appointment of the CEO of the Meru County Public Service Board, but letters have been forged to cover up and to divert attention from that act," he stated.

He claimed that the governor has persisted in a path of impunity through the county secretary and the chief of staff and this has been raised in previous impeachment proceedings.

He said Kawira denied the allegation.

Mawira said the law envisages that acting through others is not a defence to certain acts by the state officer.