Meru State Governor Kawira Mwangaza has spoken out about his relationship with Meru State leaders after escaping impeachment in 2023.
Mwangaza said he made peace with the county leaders after being advised to do so by the House of Representatives.
Speaking in the Senate on Tuesday, Mwangaza said he had toured Meru County to apologise to those he may have wronged.
The governor asserted at the time that he had reconciled with the leaders and there were no problems.
“I travelled all over Meru Island apologising to everyone I may have wronged. At one point I apologised 70 times – 69 times to each MCA and once to the Speaker. I apologised 70 times,” she said.
Mwangaza added: Grant forgiveness so the county can move forward.
“I started with Njuri Ntcheke and fixed everything that was not working. I sat with members of parliament. All the leaders of Meru. I didn’t speak to one leader. I sat down with the rest of them and spoke to them. There is absolutely no problem.”
Mwangaza will learn his fate today as the Senate concludes its impeachment hearings.
The trial began on Monday, pitting her attorneys against county deputies.
Mwangaza was given the opportunity to present his case in Parliament.
On the day the impeachment motion was debated, 49 of the 69 MCAs present in parliament voted in support of Mwangaza’s removal from office.
Mwangaza has denied all the charges.
Her legal team, led by Elisha Ongoya, called the allegations a “manifesto of lies” and urged the Senate to reject the impeachment motion in its entirety.
In November 2020, during the impeachment motion, Mwangaza apologised 70 times in court. 69 MCAs and county assembly chairpersons who had called for her impeachment.
A few hours later The Meru Court barred the impeachment motion against her. Kawira counted from one to 70, and his supporters responded by saying, “Sorry.”
“66… sorry, 69… sorry… 70… sorry,” they sang together.
This will be Mwangaza’s third impeachment hearing in the Senate.
The first impeachment hearing was held in committee, but the second and third were held in full session.
Using manual payroll to pay personnel compensation and employing excessive labor are some of the charges she faces under the third count of abuse of power.
On the first charge of serious violations of the Constitution and other laws, Mwangaza is accused of failing to appoint chairpersons for the Meru County Revenue Board, Meru Microfinance Corporation, Meru Youth Services Board and the Meru County Investment and Development Corporation Board, among other things.
In the second count of gross misconduct, Mwangaza is accused of “knowingly and knowingly misleading the public by providing false information that Sh86 million had been raised following the murder of Daniel Muthiani”. alias Mr Sniper, the correct position is that only Sh286,516 was raised.”
