Mwangaza's impeachment charges lack merit - Meru Governor's defence team

Lawyers representing Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza at her impeachment hearing in the Senate have argued that the charges against her lack merit.

Elisha Ongoya and Elias Mutuma on Monday claimed that the MCAs decided to pursue another impeachment after the Senate did not uphold the charges in the previous November 2023 proceedings.

" Hon Senators, we'll prove to you that Governor Kawira Mwangaza isn't the problem in Meru but the Meru County Assembly," Ogonya said.

The lawyer stated that the MCAs did not require new grounds to pursue Mwangaza's impeachment.

"They said they would do it six times to demonstrate to the people of Meru that they tried their best. We are here today merely as a matter of statistical count," Ongoya said.

He also claimed that the impeachment is not connected to any particular actions or omissions by Mwangaza that would warrant her removal from office.

On the other side, Lawyer Mutuma noted that the team representing the county assembly during Mwangaza's previous impeachment at the Senate in November 2023 had anticipated that they would return to the House.

"How could they predict during the last impeachment that we would be here and that this prediction would come to pass?" he posed.

"Abraham Lincoln said the surest way to predict the future is to create it and they went and created this moment, another impeachment," Mutuma added.

"Pathological lies"

The lawyer further claimed that the day after the Senate dismissed the charges, the MCAs convened in Nairobi to draft a new impeachment motion, in what he termed to be 'based on lies'.

"They (MCAs) are pathological lies. Lie that is not only untrue but is created and believed by the person who has created it. What Kenyans are being fed with are lies," Mutuma told the Senate.

Other lawyers representing the embattled Governor include Bridah Kimathi, Robert Mutembei, Edgar Busienga and Collins Mwenda.

This afternoon, the County Assembly will present its case at the Senate hearing.

The senators will be allowed to ask questions or seek clarifications from the County Assembly and its legal team.

On the second and last day of the trial ( Tuesday), Governor Mwangaza will be accorded an opportunity to present her case before the House.

Mwangaza was hounded out of the office after 49 Members of the county Assembly of Meru voted in support of the motion against 17 who rejected it, while three members failed to appear for the session.

The motion on Mwangaza's impeachment was tabled by nominated MCA Zipporah Kinya who accused the governor of three counts: gross violations of the constitution, gross misconduct, and abuse of office.