Mutuma M'Ethingia: Former prisons officer poised to take over as Meru governor

According to the Kenyan constitution, if the governor's office becomes vacant due to impeachment, the deputy governor automatically assumes the position for the remainder of the term.

A deputy governor's ascension to office is contingent on the predecessor exhausting all available options to challenge the ouster, including going to court.

“If a vacancy occurs in the office of county governor, the deputy county governor shall assume office as county governor for the remainder of the term of the county governor,” Article 182 (2) of the Constitution states. 

Mutuma is a Methodist Church minister with extensive public service experience, having begun his career as a prison officer and rising through the ranks.

Mutuma had previously worked as a Child Rights Advocate with Plan International and a Youth Representative for Habitat for Humanity in the Mount Kenya Region before being nominated by Mwangaza to run in the 2022 General Election.

Mutuma's role as a Human Rights Officer and Inmate Rehabilitation Programme Implementer within the prison services is highlighted in his resume, which was posted on the official Meru county website.

He has a higher diploma in forensic psychology and criminology from the Kenya Institute of Studies in Criminal Justice, as well as a bachelor's degree in theology from Kenya Methodist University.

He is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Governance and Ethics at Mount Kenya University.