Kawira Mwangaza: Six key issues that senate will give a ruling on today

Embattled Meru governor Kawira Mwangaza will know his fate on Friday as the 11-member special committee issues its report this afternoon.

The Star newspaper has revealed that the panel led by Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale will decide at least six important issues that can make or break the political life of the young governor.

The team led by Khalwale is expected to submit its report after two days of meetings from both sides that continued until 2:30 am on Thursday.

It is understood that the committee retired to a Windsor hotel in Kiambu County on Thursday to write its report on its decision on the proposed removal of Mwangaza.

If the committee finds all the allegations unfounded, that will be the end of the matter.

Although the team will still have to report to Parliament on the same issue, the senators are not authorized to make any other decision on the matter.

However, if the committee finds evidence of the charges — even just one of the 62 allegations or any of the six that the committee distributed — the Senate will continue to vote on impeachment charges.

Among the issues that the senators gave more importance to was the employment of Murega Baichu, the governor’s husband, as a scam ambassador in Meru, the selection of workers to work in the Okolea program by the roadside and by the roadside to tender for a construction contractor. border wall in Nkubu market.

Another is the violation of the Public Finance Management Act when he ordered the Meru Referral Hospital to spend money at the source, and appointed her husband as the guardian of the youth of Meru, a public service without legal instruments, and as Mr. Baichu received salaries or not from the public treasury. .

Her husband’s position in the county’s public affairs and his open involvement in politics angered many in the county.

That could be the main reason for the impeachment to be carried out, the senators had said during the two-day marathon session.

Video clips played to the committee show that Baichu could also instigate a fight with the MCAs.

Mwangaza has also been accused of ignoring established structures within the county government and instead creating parallel structures of his own.

His chief officer Harrison Gatobu, who testified on his behalf, was accused of covering up the county secretary, who is recognized by law as the executor of many county decisions.

In a country where religion is respected, the war between the governor and the church can also complicate things for him.

The MCAs accused him of defaming the Catholic Church, allegedly calling them a “corrupt group” in the county.

Father Elias Kinoti was brought by the MCAs to testify against him to support the idea that he has a bad working relationship with the Church.

When asked if he would support reconciliation efforts, the priest insisted that he would not support the move.

“This is not the place to pardon. The Constitution does not grant pardon in such a matter,” he said.

During the two-day hearings, senators questioned the hiring of firefighters to work in Okolea’s private firefighting program.

That activity would normally be carried out by the county government.