Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza urges Senate to mediate dispute with MCAs

Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza is now seeking the Senate’s intervention in mediating the widening rift with the Members of County Assembly (MCAs).

Kawira, in a letter to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, noted that she reconciled with the MCAs after last year's failed impeachment attempt and that they have been working cordially, until recently when the cracks began to reappear.

She stated that having been elected to the county’s top seat on an independent ticket, she does not necessarily have any MCAs allied to her pushing the administration’s agendas in the Assembly.

The Governor went ahead to allege that  both the Assembly majority and minority parties have since held meetings during which they have reached consensus to withdraw their support for her and push for a second ouster attempt.

“I have been relying on the support of the majority party (UDA Party) in the Assembly to move the agendas of the executive in the Assembly. On 23rd September, 2023 the UDA Party called a meeting through the leader of majority Hon. Evans Mawira and at the end of the meeting they addressed the members of press by indicating that they have withdrawn their support to the Governor and that they will soon bring a motion to impeach me 'for incompetence',” wrote Kawira in the letter.

“Thereafter, the DEP Party (the minority party in the County Assembly of Meru) called a meeting on the 29" September. 2023 and at the end of the said meeting addressed a press indicating that the party has withdrawn their support to the Governor.”

She added: “From that day all the members of the County Assembly who have directly expressed their support to my government are being harassed either by the Minority Whip of the Assembly or the Majority Whip of the Assembly. This has reached the extent that some of the members have been removed from the sectoral committees of the House.”

The Meru County chief further pointed an accusatory finger at Senator Murungi Kathuri and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi for her woes claiming they’re behind attempts to sabotage her leadership, including even politically capturing her deputy.

She now wants the Senate standing committee on devolution to step in and mediate the conflict in a bid to resolve the perceived differences between herself and the MCAs.

“My Deputy Governor has been taken under siege by the Meru County Senator, Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and the Members of Parliament all drawn from Meru County. They have been calling press conferences and beating war drums on how they are going to impeach me for 'incompetence',” she alleged.

“My deputy Governor has gone to the extent of calling members of the County Assembly who have openly come to support my government and wooing them to support him to have me removed instead. At the opportune moment I am willing and able to bring evidence to that effect.”

This comes even as Kawira on Thursday declined summons to appear before the Meru County Assembly for the second time to address the ongoing conflict with Deputy Governor Isaac Mutuma M'ethingia.

In a letter to the County Assembly Speaker, Governor Kawira likened herself to the President in her defense, citing legal provisions that protect a Head of State from appearing in Parliament to address issues, except during impeachment proceedings and speeches.