Beleaguered Kawira Mwangaza, the governor of Meru County, has entered a not-guilty plea to the allegations against her in the ongoing impeachment proceeding.
During her Tuesday appearance before the Senate, Kawira was read the seven counts against her, which she categorically denied. This allowed her attorney, Elisha Ongoya, to take the floor to defend her.
A rundown of the seven accusations is as follows:
- Misappropriation of county resources by the embezzlement of county finances by her brother, two sisters, brother-in-law, and husband’s brother.
- Using her relatives as a technical team to travel to China and certify cancer treatment equipment, even though she knew they were not medical professionals, was an act of nepotism and unethical behavior.
- Assaulting, demonizing, and disparaging other leaders. She allegedly barred her Deputy Governor (DG) from attending official events, posted disparaging remarks about him on a WhatsApp group, and urged elected officials and the DG’s lower-level employees to do the same.
4Usurping legislative powers and making illegal appointments. She is charged with ignoring the requirements for the creation of county offices without the county service board’s involvement and selecting a chief executive without the consent of the County Assembly.
She is also charged with paying different cleaners as support staff and employing over 100 people in her office.
- Disobedience to court orders is contempt of court.
- Name a public road in her husband’s honor without adhering to the relevant statutory procedures.
- Contempt of the assembly by ordering her chief of staff to write a letter of disdain to the assembly and by not responding to a valid summons to appear in person for portions of the impeachment motion.
Ongoya, Mwangaza’s attorney, declined to press charges, claiming that her client is innocent and that the petitioners’ case against the governor is weak.
“The voting that you make in this senate is a constitutionally prescribed voting governed by your conscience and your oath of office,” he stated to the Senate.
Following a protracted conflict between the governor and the county leadership, the Senate has now initiated a second impeachment case against the governor.
