Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza for the second time, survived a bid to remove her from office by impeachment.
This is after a majority of the 47 Senators failed to uphold any of the seven charges cited against her by by the County Assembly that voted to remove her.
Mwangaza was accused of misappropriating county resources, nepotism and unethical practices, bullying and vilifying other leaders, usurping her statutory powers, contempt of court, illegally naming a public road after her husband and contempt of the Meru County Assembly.
After a two-day-long hearing of the impeachment case against her, the 47 Senators took the crucial vote at around midnight on Wednesday, voting on each of the seven counts levelled against Governor Mwangaza.
On the first count of misappropriation of county resources, 19 Senators voted to have her removed from office while 28 voted in her favour.
For the second count of nepotism and unethical practices, five Senators found her guilty while 42 were not satisfied by the accusation as grounds for her removal.
Three Senators found her guilty on the the count of bullying, vilification and diminishing other leaders with 44 finding her innocent.
The lawmakers were almost equally divided on the charge of making illegal appointments and usurpation of statutory powers. Twenty senators found her guilty on this charge, with 27 upholding her innocence.
On the charge of Contempt of Court, only three Senators found her guilty while 44 voted in her favour.
On the outrageous count of illegally naming a public road after her husband, four Senators found the charge as a substantial ground for her removal while 43 rejected the charge.
Only 10 Senators found her guilty of Contempt of the County Assembly with 27 finding the ground as unsubstantiated.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi ruled; “The result of the division indicates that the Senate has not upheld any of the impeachment charges. Pursuant to Article 181 of the Constitution, Section 33 (8) of the County Government Act and Standing Order 87 of the Senate Standing Orders, the Senate has failed to remove from office by impeachment Governor Kawira Mwangaza and the Governor accordingly continues to hold office.”
If a majority of all members of the Senate had voted to uphold any of the impeachment charges, the governor would have ceased to hold office, in line with Section 33(7) of the County Government Act.
This comes as the second time the Governor is surviving removal by Meru County MCAs with whom she has been at loggerheads since assuming office.
She was first impeached by the Assembly in December 2022 but an 11-member Senate Special Committee appointed to probe the grounds for her removal said none of the charges levelled against her was proven.
On Wednesday night, before the Senate once again granted her a political lifeline, the Governor had pleaded with the House for forgiveness and a second chance.
Making her final submissions before the legislators cast their votes on her fate, a low-spirited Mwangaza regretted her conduct towards the Members of the County Assembly, MPs and Senators in turn asking them for forgiveness.
“I pray to God to give me more energy and grace…na Mungu anipe kuvumilia kwingi to see the people of Meru happy. The Members of Parliament, our dear Deputy Senator of this House, the MCAs, Deputy Speaker…if I have wronged anyone of you, forgive me,” Mwangaza said.
“I was elected as an independent governor, I know I need MCAs. I have tried my best and still continue to try my best to see that I work with everyone. No one is an angel, I am not an angel each and every one of us has our his or her own weaknesses. It is my prayer to God that the weaknesses that they may have, God will help me so that as we work together as a team and make Meru people happy.”
