Appearing before the Senate during the impeachment of Governor Kawira Mwangaza, Meru County Assembly's Deputy Majority Leader Zipporah Kinya recounted a harrowing experience of how an arsonist attempted to torch the institution with a petrol bomb.
In graphic detail, Kinya revealed that the lynching of the County Assembly took place while some members were inside the building on the eve of the impeachment slated on August 8, 2024.
Fearing for their lives, some members, together with Kinya who was to move the motion for the impeachment of the governor, decided to sleep in the county assembly.
“I had tabled another motion that was stopped by the court and the night I was to move the motion is when the arson attempt was made,” she told the senate.
Supporters of Governor Mwangaza had already sent the MCAs threats claiming they would block all the roads to the county assembly.
"The fire was lit, it was a petrol bomb that was thrown on the roof of the county assembly from the Meru Law courts,” Kinya explained clarifying that Meru Law Courts building borders the County Assembly.
Apparently, according to Kinya, somebody climbed onto the roof of the courts and hurled petrol bomb at the assembly’s building which promptly caught fire.
"I was inside, I was unable to wear my shoes to run out. I ran out barefoot that night because the roof started burning and we could see the fire from inside,” Kinya testified explaining she was in the assembly for security reasons.
She noted that security personnel who were at the assembly at the time helped put out the fire.
"The situation was arrested by our sergeants because there was a lot of security personnel deployed during the night and even the previous night around the assembly,” she added.
In an attempt to cow her and prevent her from moving the motion, the thugs attempted to burn her home. During her testimony, Kinya showed a CCTV footage of unidentified individuals trying to burn her house.
“Someone threw fire across the fence from my neighbor's home. It is the watchman who put out the fire,” she stated.
It was not the first time she had moved an impeachment motion. Previously, the court had issued orders to halt the impeachment of the governor.
Kenyans are watching with eager to see whether Kawira Mwangaza will escape the impeachment for a third time.
