Nairobi — Meru Governor Kawora Mwangaza has survived the second impeachment after Senators acquitted her of all 7 charges brought up against her by the County Assembly.
The Senate plenary which went late into Wednesday night dismissed all the charges in a vote, giving her a new lease of life in the county where County Assembly Members have kicked her out twice in a year.
She faced charges of Misappropriation and Misuse of Resources, Nepotism, Bullying, Illegal appointments, contempt of court, and naming a road after her husband illegally.
Kawira denied all the charges and put up a spirited defense saying she was being victimised as a woman leader by the male-dominated county assembly.
Speaker Amason Kingi announced the Senate's decision, stating, "The result of the division indicates the Senate has not upheld any of the charges. Therefore, the Senate has failed to remove the governor by impeachment. The governor accordingly continues to hold office."
In the first charge, which pertained to misappropriation and misuse of public resources, 28 senators voted to declare the governor innocent, while 19 senators voted to find her guilty.
Regarding the second charge of nepotism and unethical practices, 42 senators deemed it unsubstantiated, while five senators found her guilty.
On the third charge, which accused the governor of bullying, vilification, and demeaning other leaders, 44 senators cleared her of the charge, with only three senators stating she was guilty.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
In the fourth charge, which involved illegal appointment and usurpation of statutory powers, 26 senators voted against it, while 20 voted in support. One senator abstained from voting.
Charge five, which alleged contempt of court, was dismissed by 44 senators, with three senators supporting the accusation.
For the sixth charge, where the governor was accused of naming a road after her husband, 43 senators rejected the charges, while four senators supported the accusations.
In the final charge, which alleged contempt of the assembly, 36 senators found the offense unsubstantiated, while 10 senators declared the governor guilty.
In her closing submission, Governor Mwangaza appealed to the senators to spare her from impeachment, characterizing her troubles as vilification. She expressed her hope to unite all Meru leaders.
Mwangaza had been facing seven charges in the impeachment motion, which received support from 59 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs). The Senate carefully considered the evidence presented by the Meru County Assembly's legal team and the defense presented by Mwangaza's legal team during a two-day trial that extended into the late hours of Wednesday night.
