7 Charges Kawira Mwangaza is facing; Speaker Kingi sets date for hearing
According to the Senate speaker, Meru governor Kawira Mwangaza is facing 7 charges.
Kingi stated,”As such this is a reminder that the impeachment hearing is not just a procedural formality, but a fundamental process that plays a crucial role in upholding the principles of democracy and good governance. This hearing is one of the most crucial oversight tools and singular roles of the Senate.”
“ The matter will be heard and determined within 10 days,” he added.
The Charges include;
Charge 1: Misappropriation and Misuse of County Resources
The particulars of this allegation are that the Governor –
Embezzled County funds through the Governor’s relatives;
Withdrew County funds through false claims of payment for supplies and services rendered by the Governor’s relatives, despite being ineligible to tender for or supply goods to the County Government;
Paid ‘‘full salaries and benefits’’ for over a year to four high-ranking County officials, despite their not rendering any services to the County; and
Diverted and (mis)used County resources, including funds and motor vehicles, to support the Governor’s private charity (dubbed ‘Okolea’), despite previous promises to keep County operations and ‘Okolea’ operations separate.
Charge 2: Nepotism and Related Unethical Practices
The particulars of this allegation are that the Governor –
Fraudulently represented unqualified relatives as a “technical team” for medical equipment inspection in China;
Employed one, Edwin Mutuma Murangiri a nephew to her husband, in key County positions;
Designated her brother-in-law, Nephat Kinyua, as Director of External Linkages without transparent and competitive recruitment; and
Assigned diplomatic duties with engagements with foreign diplomats and dignitaries to unqualified relatives.
Charge 3: Bullying, vilification and demeaning other leaders
The particulars of this allegation are that the Governor –
Excluded the Deputy Governor from County Executive Committee meetings and other official functions;
Engaged in bullying and posted demeaning messages about the Deputy Governor in WhatsApp groups known as “3rd Government 012” and “County Admin Services” whose membership includes several officers who are subordinate to the Deputy Governor;
Encouraged and condoned insubordination and the making of insulting and demeaning public utterances by subordinate staff against the Deputy Governor and other elected leaders;
Encouraged and condoned the removal of the Deputy Governor by junior officers from official county WhatsApp forums;
Arbitrarily suspended, dismissed, withdrew and frustrated staff of the office of the Deputy Governor;
Illegally, irregularly and fraudulently hounded the Deputy Governor’s staff out of office by purporting to accept their non-existent resignations;
Arbitrarily reduced, suspended and withdrew budgetary facilitation for legitimate operations of the Deputy Governor’s office;
Threatened to inflict bodily harm against the Deputy Governor orally and in WhatsApp chats;
Forcefully broke into and ransacked the Deputy Governor’s office;
Changed the locks to the said office;
Arbitrarily relocated the Deputy Governor’s office;
Arbitrarily withdrew security from the Deputy Governor’s residences;
Persistently made demeaning public utterances against other elected leaders despite the same issue featuring prominently in previous impeachment proceedings;
Made inciteful, insulting and demeaning remarks against other leaders, by falsely accusing them of cartelism at a presidential thanksgiving service held in Laare despite the issue arising in previous impeachment proceedings; and
Encouraged, connived, and condoned her husband’s insulting and demeaning public utterances and musical performances against other elected leaders despite the issue arising in previous impeachment proceedings.
Charge 4: Illegal appointments and usurpation of statutory powers
The particulars of this allegation are that the Governor–
Appointed Kenneth Mwiti Riungu as a Chief Officer without County Assembly approval;
Sent Dr. Ntoiti (CEO of the County Revenue Board), Paul Mwaki (CEO of Liquor Board), Kenneth Kimathi Mbae (Managing Director of Meru Microfinance Corporation) and Joseph Kithure Mberia (CEO, Meru County Water and Sanitation Services) on indefinite compulsory leave with full salary and benefits, in usurpation of the powers of the appointing authorities;
Deployed other persons to perform the functions of those sent on compulsory leave, in breach of a court order;
Appointed unqualified persons as Acting Chief Officers without the requisite competitive recruitment and recommendation from the County Public Service Board;
Recruited traffic marshals without involving the County Public Service Board, disregarding the criteria for establishing county offices;
Usurped the powers of the County Public Service Board by creating traffic marshal offices;
Employed an excessive workforce of over one hundred personal staff in the Governor’s office;
Designated and paid various cleaners as Senior Support Staff, despite already having 16 support staff; and
Appointed four individuals to hold county offices in an acting capacity for more than six months without proper authorization.
Charge 5: Contempt of Court
The particulars of this allegation are that the Governor –
Grossly violated Articles 10 and 73 of the Constitution;
Section 7 of the Leadership and Integrity Act; and
Section 10 of the Public Officers Ethics Act, by engaging in a contumacious stubborn refusal to obey lawful court orders.
Charge 6: Illegally naming a public road after husband
The particulars of this allegation are that the Governor –
Grossly violated Articles 10 and 73 of the Constitution; and
Sections 7 and 11 (1) (c) of the Meru County Honours and Awards Act, 2018, by naming a public road after her husband without following the applicable statutory procedures.
Charge 7: Contempt of the Assembly
The particulars of this allegation are that the Governor –
Refused to honour summons from the County Assembly’s Sectoral Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Cohesion to answer questions related to the impeachment Motion;
Directed her Chief of Staff to send a contemptuous letter to the Assembly in response to the summons for her to appear before the Sectoral Committee; and
Through the CECM Finance and the County Secretary, refused to furnish documents to the Assembly on the grounds that an audit process was underway and that the matters raised by the Assembly were sub judice.
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