Governor Mwangi Wairia Goes Home On Impeachment Motion

Governor Mwangi Wairia

Governor Mwangi wa Iria has been impeached. On Wednesday Members of the Murang’a County Assembly (MCAs) accused the county Governor of misusing cash and failing to manage it’s debt. He needed only two more votes to survive but Mr Wa Iria was impeached after 34 out of 49 MCAs voted for his removal, for alleged gross misconduct and abuse of office.

County Assembly Speaker Mr Nduati Kariuki allowed a notice of the impeachment Motion tabled by nominated member Mary Waithera and seconded by Kamacharia MCA Mr Joseph Machiri on Wednesday at the expiry of the seven-day notice allowed by the Standing Orders of the House. She alleged lack of accountability in the management and use of county resources, exemplified by an unsustainable debt of Sh2.5 billion. According to her, this was not disclosed in the debt management and fiscal papers. She cited the Auditor-General’s report that revealed that the county spent over Sh28 million in “unclear circumstances on a controversial co-operative society known as Shilingi Kwa Shilingi. The MCA also accused the executive of spending Sh247 million on advertising against the Assembly’s recommendation of Sh7 million. “The governor has also failed to establish the county budget and economic forum and also disregarded the County Assembly and undermined its legislative authority through requisition of monies and not remitting the same hence crippling operations of the House,” said Ms Waithera. The assembly accused the governor of borrowing Sh200 million from the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) without guarantee from the National Treasury.  Murang’a MCAs deny using impeachment plan to blackmail Governor Wa Iria Kahumbu Ward MCA Erick Kamande, who opposed the impeachment Motion, said the leaders should iron out their differences for the sake of peace. The governor has been involved in a supremacy battle with local MPs led by Kigumo’s Jamleck Kamau. On Wednesday, Mr Kamau preferred to stay out of the fray. “We will issue a comprehensive statement on the issue with other MPs by the weekend,” he said. His impeachment battle now moves to the Senate, where senators have to approve the move to send him home.