When the High Court upheld the impeachment of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza on March 13, 2025, it drew down the curtain, at least partially, over an illustrious and ambitious path that Mwangaza had curved out for herself.
On Monday, Isaac Mutuma was sworn-in as the new governor of Meru County to replace his former boss. The speed with which she got replaced can be seen as a coincidence but other observers saw a wider strategy to ring-fence some hard won victory.
Philanthropy, business and ministry
Mwangaza, when she entered the political scene, was a self-declared grassroots mobilizer and a philanthropist.
What endeared her to the wider population were her personal grassroots initiatives such as the “Okolea Kaana Ka Miiru,” loosely translated, “save the Meru Child.”
She accomplished this via small scale projects in education, and looking after the welfare marginalized particularly those living with disabilities and the poor.
Mwangaza started out doing small businesses but gradually grew big. She successfully tried her hand in cake baking and later turned to doing business in hardware products, which she grew in all the areas around the upper eastern parts of the country beginning with Meru County.
She then ventured into Christian ministry, and became a bishop. Later, she got into media business, opening the first Kimeru TV station known as Baite TV. Known to her followers simply as Kawira or Kawira Mwangaza, she took the Meru County grassroots by storm and was beloved of many whom she had helped in one way or another.
Journey to coveted governorship
In 2013, Mwangaza unsuccessfully vied for Buuri Constituency Parliamentary seat. Come 2017 general elections, she was elected the Woman Representative (MP) for Meru county.
None could have known Kawira was eyeing bigger things after bagging the Meru County Woman Rep seat in 2017.
She was such a ‘minor political operative’ that when she declared her intention to run for the gubernatorial seat against the political titans, Kiraitu Murungi and Mithika Linturi and others, political pundits predicted the best she could pull off would be a distant number three.
But in one of the biggest political upsets of the 2022 general elections, Mwangaza floored the political oligarchs of Meru to win the gubernatorial seat, it was a shocking upset. The Bishop, who came top courtesy of her broad grassroots mobilization skills, contested as an independent gubernatorial candidate to become one among seven female governors elected on August 9, 2022.
The undoing of her competitors during the campaigns was to disregard her as a non-starter with neither the agenda nor the ability to lead the county.
First Impeachment Attempt
Barely had the elections dust settled thanMwangaza stared at real trouble in the eye. She was an independent candidate answerable to a County Assembly stacked full of various party Members of Assembly (MCAs’) and they wanted her out so badly they could not wait.
In December 2022, the MCAs’ impeached her.
Many spoke of the hidden hands of her defeated political competitors but this time round it was not to be; the Senate threw out the impeachment move by the MCA’s of Meru County having found no proof to charges against her on nepotism, abuse of office and mismanagement.
It also did not help much that her spouse, Muregu Baichu, was rubbing the MCAs the wrong way and they would have none of it. The stage for a high stakes battle ahead was set and like in chess game, every move on both sides was closely monitored and it was simply a matter of time before they would checkmate her.
A Senate committee appointed to probe claims observed during the sittings that the relationship between Mwangaza and the County Assembly was acrimonious, found out that the relationship was indeed contemptuous and threatened to grind the county to a halt.
The committee said it was inconceivable that in the circumstances the people of Meru would enjoy the benefits of a devolved government and called for urgent measures to negotiate with the warring factions and find an amicable solution.
Second Impeachment Attempt
It took little time for the second attempt to be made and it came swiftly. In October 2023, dark clouds again rose against her as the MCAs went for her jugular. The impeachment motion was tabled by the Majority leader Evans Mawira and was supported by 59 out of 69 MCAs, while 10 members were absent during the voting.
To compound matters for her, she was linked to the murder of blogger Daniel Muthiani, alias Snipper; whose decomposing body, was found strangled to death according to government pathologist, Dr. Johansen Oduor.
The blogger was critical of her government and the police investigations drew the net around two people close to Mwangaza, her brother, Muranguri and an associate, Kirimi who are prime suspects in the case. She denied involvement in the murder.
Mwangaza’s impeachment charges included misappropriation and misuse of county resources, allegations of nepotism, illegal appointments, and contempt of the court and the County Assembly.
Fast action and involvement of the President and the Deputy President saved her from the sack. The executive called on the MCAs and the Governor to forge working relations and deliver to the people of Meru services that were much needed.
The High Court sent the MCAs’ back to the drawing board.
Third and final impeachment motion
In August 2024, as sure as the rains would come in their season, a third impeachment motion against Mwangaza took place. The Meru County Assembly impeached Governor Kawira Mwangaza after a motion was presented by nominated MCA Zipporah Kinya.
Out of sixty-nine MCAs; Forty-nine supported the motion, as seventeen opposed it, and three abstained. The MCAs’ accused Mwangaza of three major offenses including gross violation of the Constitution, violations of national and county laws, and abuse of office.
In what was more strategy than coincidence, the ruling UDA party, the Party of National Unity (PNU) that had lent support before to her, and the Jubilee Party, all withdrew their support for Mwangaza and it became obvious she was on her own.
When it rains, it pours! The High Court sent her packing. Coincidentally, on Thursday last week, Meru County MCAs held a special sitting where they tabled impeachment motions against eight members of her Cabinet ostensibly to clear the way for an almost full cabinet reconstitution post Mwangaza, they seemed well prepared.
Mwangaza’s failure to play political chess
Whenever Mwangaza addressed her supporters during her tumultuous two-year leadership she emphatically asserted that her primary task was protecting the public purse from gluttonous individuals.
She believed those at the root of her political troubles were keen to plunder Meru County’s Sh12 billion annual budget and had been sent by the political detractors.
Since her first impeachment, the major complaint between Mwangaza and the MCAs was that she refused to give to the MCAs’ a Ward Development Fund and this made the MCAs complain that they were excluded from the development process.
As an independent candidate, Mwangaza was retained a high level of independent and except for some dalliance with the ruling Kenya Kwanza Coalition since her first impeachment, she did not form alliances across the political board, she was her own woman!
To wherever life’s path might lead her, Bishop Mwangaza holds a Bachelors of Guidance and counselling from Kampala International University, A Bachelor of Arts in Transformational Leadership from Pan African University and a Certificate in Human Resources from Makerere University. She is well equipped to face the world out there and continue thriving.
The impeachment wave
Embu’s Martin Wambora was impeached on two occasions but was saved by the courts on both occasions. He holds the record for the first governor to be impeached in the country.
Former governor Mohamed Abdi of Wajir was also impeached by the Wajir County Assembly but subsequently reinstated by the court.
Other governors who were impeached by the County Assemblies but charges against them in the Senate fell short were Kericho governor Paul Chepkwony, Murang’a governor Mwangi wa Iria, Nyeri’s first governor the late Nderitu Gachagua, Taita Taveta’s Granton Samboja, and Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga).
Mwangaza joins the team of Ferdinand Waititu of Kiambu and Mike Sonko of Nairobi. Governors who were kicked out of office courtesy of impeachment and not even the court could save them.
