Senate Strikes Back: Kawira Mwangaza’s Impeachment Fight Resurfaces
Kawira Mwangaza’s position as Meru governor is precariously threatened once more as the Senate initiates steps to overturn the High Court’s order that currently halts her removal.
In a response to Mwangaza’s petition filed in Nairobi, the Senate identified a critical error on Mwangaza’s part that might jeopardize her gubernatorial role.
The Senate pointed out that Mwangaza had sued Speaker Amason Kingi in her petition but failed to include the entire Senate and the senators who had supported her impeachment.
The senators are now aiming to join the case, asserting that only they can address the issues raised concerning the House proceedings.
The petition includes a claim that “The omission of the Senate of the Republic of Kenya from these proceedings renders the petition incurably defective.”
Additionally, the Senate criticized the High Court for setting indefinite timelines without specifying when the verdict on the application or the main case would be delivered.
ALSO READ:
- ODM Succession Showdown: Top 5 Contenders to Succeed Raila Odinga
- Govt Breaks Silence on Organising Raila’s Fundraiser for AUC Bid
- You Are Lying – Senator Sifuna Clashes with Hussein Mohamed
- “Billions to count fish?” MPs Stunned by Ministry’s Ksh.1.6 Billion Expenditure
- Government Fights to Save Finance Act 2023 Amid Constitutional Challenge at Supreme Court
They also accused the High Court of breaching natural justice principles by making orders without allowing the involved parties a chance to be heard.
On August 21, 2024, the High Court reinstated Mwangaza’s governorship after the Senate had previously voted for her removal.
Mwangaza, with her lawyer Eliud Mutuma, had filed a petition challenging the Senate’s decision and secured an order blocking her ousting.
The Senate’s decision to remove her was based on three charges for which she was found guilty.
Speaker Amason Kingi declared, “The senators, having voted to uphold the charges against the Meru governor, Governor Kawira Mwangaza ceases to hold office,” in a vote that extended past midnight at the end of last month.
Should the Senate’s petition succeed, Kawira Mwangaza will be the third governor to be removed from office through impeachment, following Kiambu’s Ferdinand Waititu and Nairobi’s Mike Sonko in 2020.
Senate Strikes Back: Kawira Mwangaza’s Impeachment Fight Resurfaces
