New Meru Governor Isaac Mutuma hit his first stumbling block minutes after he was sworn into office following a lawsuit filed against him on Monday, March 17.
Mutuma, who served as Deputy Governor since 2022, replaced his former boss Kawira Mwangaza after she was impeached by the Senate in 2024 in a decision that was upheld by the High Court on March 14.
An activist has moved to court to challenge his assumption of office on various grounds.
The activist, Mike Makarina, cited that Mutuma’s oath should have come 10 days after the occurrence of a vacancy.
According to the activist, the earliest the new Meru governor should have been sworn in should have been on Monday, March 27 – the first Thursday after 10 days following the court’s decision to uphold Mwangaza’s impeachment.
This comes amid an ongoing debate on the legality of Mutuma’s swearing-in as the Meru County governor, with some lawyers arguing that it could potentially violate the Assumption to Office of Governor Act of 2017.
According to the act, a Governor-elect shall be sworn in on the first Thursday after the tenth day following the declaration of the final election results by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
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