Mwangaza’s Impeachment Saga Takes New Turn as Senate Moves to Overturn Court’s Decision
Kawira Mwangaza’s turbulent tenure as Meru governor is teetering on the brink once again, following a decisive move by the Senate to challenge a High Court decision halting her removal from office.
On Wednesday, the Senate launched an effort to overturn the High Court’s recent order that reinstated Mwangaza as governor.
The controversy erupted after Mwangaza, in her petition filed in Nairobi, inadvertently excluded the Senate and its members from the legal proceedings.
According to the Senate, this oversight could prove disastrous for Mwangaza’s gubernatorial ambitions. “The omission of the Senate of the Republic of Kenya from these proceedings renders the petition incurably defective,” the Senate’s petition asserts. This move indicates the gravity of the procedural missteps that could potentially lead to her ousting.
In their appeal, the Senate highlighted that the High Court’s ruling, which was delivered on August 21, 2024, lacked specific timelines for when the verdict on Mwangaza’s case would be finalized.
This, they argue, breaches the principles of natural justice, which mandate that all parties involved must be granted a fair opportunity to present their case before any adverse rulings are made.
The High Court’s intervention came after the Senate had voted to remove Mwangaza from her position, following her conviction on three charges. Speaker Amason Kingi had announced, “The senators, having voted to uphold the charges against the Meru governor, Governor Kawira Mwangaza ceases to hold office,” marking a significant moment in the impeachment saga.
Mwangaza, represented by her lawyer Eliud Mutuma, successfully challenged the Senate’s decision and secured an injunction against her removal. If the Senate’s latest petition is successful, Mwangaza will join the ranks of other governors, such as Kiambu’s Ferdinand Waititu and Nairobi’s Mike Sonko, who have been ousted through impeachment proceedings.
The unfolding legal battle underscores the complexity of governance and the often tumultuous nature of political leadership in Kenya.
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Mwangaza’s Impeachment Saga Takes New Turn as Senate Moves to Overturn Court’s Decision
