Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has been hit by a major blow after the court upheld the Senate’s decision for her impeachment.
The court ruled that the Senate had acted as per the Constitution during Mwangaza’s removal process.
According to Justice Bahati Mwamuye, she had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support her allegations that the impeachment had irregularities.
“This court finds that the amended petition is without merit and dismissed. The gazette notice published on 21 August 2024 to remove her from office is affirmed,” Justice Bahati ruled.
The court also determined that the Senate did not violate any court orders during the impeachment.
The court, therefore, emphasized that if Mwangaza wanted to halt the process, she should have taken the necessary steps to extract and present the relevant court orders.
Mwangaza had previously claimed that her impeachment had lacked public participation but the respondents opposed the argument.
The court refused to rule on the matter as it was at the centre of another ongoing case before the Meru court.
However, the court acknowledged that it is a constitutional requirement but clarified that in an impeachment process, it primarily occurs at the county level rather than the Senate.
Mwangza had further argued that she was given two minutes to defend herself, effectively denying her affair hearing.
“Whether she chose to remain silent or not did not change the fact that she was given a chance to present her defense”, the court ruled.
The court, therefore, concluded that the legal requirements for impeachment had been met.
