- Governors must walk a difficult line between appeasing voters with development projects and playing to the tune of the vicious MCAs
- In the county, MCAs are mini-bosses and governors must learn the craft of appeasing and working with them for the benefit of residents
It is now clear that Meru county is faced with a leadership crisis. The impeachment of its governor was written on the wall and will bring suffering to the residents of this great county.
Last December, members of the Meru county assembly convened to impeach Governor Kawira Mwangaza. Of the 69 MCAs, 67 voted to impeach her.
Around the same time, I opined here on the need for the Senate to spare the governor; the reason being that a few months in office were not sufficient to find grounds for an impeachment. I defended her then.
Barely 10 months later, 59 MCAs of the Meru county assembly have once again voted to impeach Mwangaza, with 10 being absent from the vote.
For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Mwangaza is a woman that I deeply admire. She, Governor Anne Waiguru and Governor Cecily Mbarire are women of excellence who have broken the glass ceiling and created a path for women, including young girls like my daughter, to follow.
Therefore this discussion has nothing to do with the gender card, rather political competence.
The job of a governor is a very difficult one, second only in my opinion to that of the President. I have worked in the Kiambu county government before and seen the trials, tribulations, blackmail, threats, intimidations and difficulties that governors go through, especially from the county assembly.
Governors must walk a difficult line between appeasing voters with development projects and playing to the tune of the vicious MCAs, while maintaining the balance with many outside forces.
The Senate must ask itself whether it is willing to conduct impeachment hearings twice a year for the same county until the next election. That would be unfair to the residents of Meru.
In the county, MCAs are mini-bosses and governors must learn the craft of appeasing and working with them for the benefit of residents. There is no exception to this rule.
There is a saying that states that when elephants fight, it's the grass that gets hurt. The constant fights in Meru mean there will be no development done for the benefit of the residents. They are the ones getting the short end of the stick.
If a governor is unable to contain the MCAs and govern, then one must relinquish their seat. It doesn’t matter how competent the governor may be.
Mwangaza has been accused of a number of acts of gross misconduct, including nepotism, illegal appointments, unlawful dismissals, incitement, bullying, vilification, forceful entry into the assembly precincts, violation of public finance management laws and misconduct relating to the nomination of county executive committee members.
The governor has also been accused of abusing her power by directing the Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital to spend all revenue at source and issuing waivers on fees without proper authorisation.
She is accused of directing county government officers to further the interests of Baite TV, a media station owned by a private company connected to the governor.
The governor has further been accused of violating the Constitution and the law in a number of ways, including by violating the Public Finance Management Act, the Public Appointments Act, and the Constitution itself.
If the Senate upholds Mwangaza's impeachment, it will send a strong message that no one is above the law, not even a governor. It will also help to protect the people of Meru from further abuse of power.
However, it is important to note that the Senate has a responsibility to conduct a fair and impartial trial. Mwangaza is entitled to the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair defence. The Senate must carefully consider all of the evidence before making a decision.
Overall, there are strong arguments for the Senate to uphold Mwangaza's impeachment. However, the Senate must carefully consider all of the evidence and ensure that she is given an open chance to defend herself.
The Senate must ask itself whether it is willing to conduct impeachment hearings twice a year for the same county until the next election. That would be unfair to the residents of Meru.
Impeachment would also send a clear message to all other governors to either get their affairs in order or be prepared to face the music.
Political and communications consultant @MachelWaikenda