Kawira Mwangaza Impeachment – Who Next?

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On Tuesday 20 August 2024 the Kenya Senate voted in support of impeachment of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza.

The third motion of impeachment of the governor was brought up by Meru County Nominated MCA Zipporah Kinya.

Kawira Mwangaza before the Senate.

While voting on count One concerning abuse of the Constitution and other laws 26 Senators voted Yes, 4 voted No and 14 abstained.

On the Second count of gross misconduct 26 voted Yes, 2 voted No and 14 abstained.

There was also a Third count on Abuse of Office and the voting pattern was more or less similar to the previous counts.

So, why did Senate finally decide to impeach Mwangaza Kawira after three failed attempts?

One. The Senators were afraid to vote against the wishes of the people now that Gen Z have opened a new perspective to people power. Two. Kawira Mwangaza should have been impeached a long time ago if it were not for issues of compromise.

The resolve by Senate to carry out the impeachment proceedings in open sessions as opposed to earlier committees is commendable. This is a pointer that many governors who have been summoned to appear before various committees only survived because of compromised positions.

Ask yourself if your Governor can come clean following a scrutiny by the Public Accounts Committee, the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission and other investigative bodies, should the sessions be carried out in plenary.

Kilifi, Kwale, Nairobi, Uasin Gishu and Siaya are among top counties listed by investigative bodies as worthy of scrutiny.

Lawyer who capitalized from the whole fiasco.

According to the 2010 Constitution the Senate was set up as the Upper House in the two parliaments with a specific duty to oversight counties.

The rampant corruption in counties are symptoms of a failed Senate. Perhaps it’s time to redeem itself.

Maybe impeaching Kawira Mwangaza (who will likely appeal) is not enough. The Senate should cast it’s net wider. After all illiteracy, in the 21st Century is not inability to write and read but failure to learn from previous mistakes.