Homa Bay Town MP Peter Opondo Kaluma on Monday hit out at Meru members of the County Assembly for impeaching embattled Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza even as her impeachment hearing kicked off in the Senate.
In a statement, Kaluma argued that the County Assembly of Meru had become a national shame and called for its dissolution. This is the third time Mwangaza is being put on the stand to defend herself.
“The County of Meru has become a national shame and should be dissolved! Who elected these sick MCAs who can't understand the meaning of 'gross' in impeachment motions!” Kaluma retorted
The lawmaker further argued that it was primitive of the County Assembly to be fighting Kawira because she is a woman when other parts of the world are supporting women leadership and called for dismissal of the case.
In 2022, the lawmaker showed his support for the Governor by calling out individuals who attempted to kick out the Governor.
"What gross misconduct has Governor Kawira Mwangaza committed to deserve this fight by men barely 3 months after the election? Men must accept that women too can be Governors! The Senate should dismiss this nonsense," he tweeted in December 2022
The hearing of Mwangaza's impeachment began with Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye reading the charges for her proposed removal from office. She was accused of gross violation of the constitution, gross misconduct and abuse of office
However Mwangaza pleaded not guilty to all the charges levelled against her signalling the spirited fight her team prepared to defend her from the claims and prevent an impeachment when the senate took a vote at the end of the hearing sessions.
Meru County Assembly Lead Counsel Ndegwa Njiru, however, implored upon the senate to consider impeaching her.
“Hon. Senators you're being called upon for a third time to interrogate the character and ability of Governor Kawira Mwangaza to govern. This cannot be personal vendetta or malice against the Governor,” Ndegwa told the Senate.
“We'll show you, Senators, how families have broken in Meru County because of Governor Kawira Mwangaza's remarks. We'll also show you how public resources are being plundered under her watch."
Governor Mwangaza's Advocate Elias Mutuma, on the other hand, maintained that Meru County Assembly created another impeachment motion while they were still defending her second impeachment attempt.
“They went and created a pathological lie, believed it and want to force us to believe it.” Mutuma told the Senate.
Her advocates also told the house that the mover of the present impeachment motion, Zipporah Kinya, had earlier sounded a warning to the nation that they will impeach the Governor six more times and argued that the stalemate was only necessitated by mere statistical counts.
The mover of the motion, Hon. Zipporah Kinya, justified her petition noting that the impeachment was on valid grounds and was supported by a majority of the County Assembly's members.
“Once I introduced this motion to the Members of the County Assembly, my motion was supported by 49 members of the County Assembly out of the 69 members as per the law,” she told the Senate.
Mwangaza was accused of gross violation of the Constitution for allegedly revoking CPA Virginia Kawira Miriti's appointment as CEO of the Meru County Public Service Board.
“The appointment of the CEO of the Public Service Board can only be revoked with a vote of not less than 75% of all Members of the County Assembly of Meru.”
