The Kenyan Senate has voted to remove Meru County Governor Kawira Mwangaza from office, marking the end of a prolonged political crisis in the region.
The Senate Speaker, Amson Kingi, announced the decision past 1 a.m. on Wednesday, stating that the upper house had upheld all three charges against the governor – gross violation of the constitution, gross misconduct, and abuse of office.
“Pursuant to article 181 of the Constitution, section 33 of the County Government Act and standing order 86 of the Senate standing orders, the Senate has resolved to remove from office by impeachment honorable Kawira Mwangaza, the governor of Meru County,” Kingi told the chamber.
The vote, conducted by county delegations, saw a simple majority of 24 senators voting to impeach Mwangaza on all three counts, clearing the way for her immediate removal from office.
This was Mwangaza’s third impeachment battle since she was elected in August 2022. The first was heard and determined by a committee, while the second and third went to the plenary.
In her defense, Mwangaza denied all the charges, arguing that she had made amends with Meru leaders after the previous attempt to oust her in 2023.
“I travelled across Meru, apologizing to anyone I may have wronged. At one point, I said sorry 70 times, 69 to each MCA, and once to the speaker. I said sorry 70 times,” she told the Senate during the hearing.
However, the majority of the 49 out of 69 MCAs present in the Meru County Assembly voted to support her removal, setting the stage for the final showdown in the Senate.
The impeachment trial, which started on Monday, saw lawyers representing Mwangaza and the county assembly face off before the upper house. Mwangaza was given the opportunity to present her case, but the senators ultimately sided with the charges brought by the county assembly.
