In February 2024, Meru
Deputy Governor Isaac Mutuma alleged a plan by some officials to force him to
resign.
Mutuma, who does not see
eye to eye with Mwangaza, insisted then that he would not quit despite
allegedly being promised hefty perks if he resigned.
"We are operating in
a very hostile environment in Meru, and as deputy governor, I have said time and
again that things are escalating from bad to worse," Mutuma said in
February 2024.
The man who for many
months has had no voice in the running of Meru County Government is on the
verge of becoming the fourth governor of the devolved unit.
The Constitution provides
that in case a governor is removed from office, the deputy takes over for the
remainder of the term.
With the High Court upholding the impeachment of Governor Mwangaza, Mutuma is likely to assume office should she fail to secure a stay order to the Friday’s High Court.
Mwangaza was removed from office after the Senate, on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, confirmed all three impeachment charges against her.
Following the High Court
ruling, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi is expected to gazette Mwangaza's
impeachment to roll out the timelines for the swearing-in of Mutuma.
Who
is Mutuma
Mutuma was elected as
Meru deputy governor in the 2022 polls alongside Mwangaza without being sponsored
by any political party.
They cruised to victory,
crushing political titans in Meru including then-Governor Kiraitu Murungi and
his predecessor Peter Munya.
Before his election,
Mutuma served as a senior officer in the Kenya Prisons Service and worked as a
Reverend in the Methodist Churches of Kenya.
He holds a Higher Diploma
in Forensic Psychology and Criminology from the Kenya Institute of Studies in
Criminal Justice, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Theology from Kenya Methodist
University.
Mutuma also holds a
Master's Degree in Governance and Ethics from Mount Kenya University.
The Meru deputy governor
has previously served as a Child Rights Advocate with Plan International, a
youth representative for Habitat for Humanity in the Mount Kenya Region, and a
Human Rights Officer and Inmate Rehabilitation Programme Implementer within the
prison services.
Mutuma
to pick deputy after assuming office
If sworn into office,
Mutuma will have to pick a deputy governor.
In 2018, the Supreme
Court declared that the vacant position could not be filled through another
election.
They also held that there
cannot be a vacuum in the office of the Deputy Governor until the next General
Election is held.
The Supreme Court then
issued guidance on how to fill the deputy governor vacancy.
The judges ruled that
governors will be allowed to do fresh nominations within 14 days to replace
their deputies who resign, die in office or are impeached.+
The nominees will then
have to be approved by County Assemblies within 60 days.
Successful appointees
then take the oath of office.
The judges ruled that
where a vacancy occurs in both offices of the governor and deputy governor and
at the same time, the deputy's office ought to remain vacant until the election
of a new governor.
Can
a deputy governor who ascends to the office of governor serve two terms?
Over the last decade or
so, the country has seen a number of Deputy Governors ascend to the governor’s
office.
They include Bomet’s
Hillary Barchok, who took over following the demise of Joyce Laboso.
In Kiambu, James Nyoro
took over following the ousting of Ferdinand Waititu.
In Nairobi, Anne Kananu
took over after Mike Sonko was impeached.
Article 146 (4) and
Article 182 (3) of the Constitution provide for this:
At the time of taking office, if there are two and a half years or more remaining before the next General Election, such a person shall be deemed as having served a full term.
