Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mithika Linturi has asked Meru leaders to respect each other, saying the mandate of MCAs and that of Governor Kawira Mwangaza were well spelt out in the Constitution.
Speaking for the first time about the controversy pitting MCAs against Governor Mwangaza which boiled over when 67 Ward Reps voted to remove the governor from office on December 14, 2022, the CS said each of the parties should be allowed to perform their mandate.
The Senate has since constituted 11-member committee to probe the grounds for her impeachment with the Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale-led committee set to table its report on December 30, 2022.
In comments that were viewed as “reconciliatory” amid the row, Mr Linturi reminded leaders that the political season was over and that they should now work to deliver the promises they made to the electorate.
“Those who won the election on August 9 should be respected. When you elected President William Ruto and Moses Kirima (Imenti Central MP), you rejected me and elected Kawira,” Mr Linturi said on Wednesday at Gatimbi, Imenti Central when he launched the county tree planting exercise.
Also present were Ms Mwangaza, Mr Kirima, MPs Rahim Dawood (Imenti South), Dan Kiili (Igembe Central), Julius Taitumu (Igembe North) Dr John Mutunga (Tigania West) and several MCAs including Speaker Ayub Bundi.
“We need to respect our governor because she defeated us and let us work together because you. When she defeated me on inauguration day I congratulated her and wished her the best in her administration,” Mr Linturi added.
There were tense moments when MCAs rose to introduce themselves with Mr Bundi, who has been on a warpath with Ms Mwangaza shaking her hand, prompting Mr Kirima to appeal to leaders to “put a smile on their faces to defuse the tension”, amid applause from the residents.
Ms Mwangaza said she was ready to work with the ward reps and called for Meru residents to pray for her as she faces the committee on December 27.
“I am for peace and unity and as the process at the Senate is going on we pray for peace across the county. It’s God who gives leaders and I am ready for unity with the MCAs. I ask the people of Meru to pray for me and I am sure all this will be over,” she said.
The CS however added that the Senate committee should be allowed to do its work, adding that he was confident justice would be served.
But even as Mr Linturi appeared to strike a conciliatory tone, MCAs who had spoken earlier at Nguthiru Laingi grounds in Tigania West in his presence opened a fresh attack on Ms Mwangaza with Athwana MCA Jim Muchui asking deputy governor Mutuma M’Ethinkia “to prepare to take over the county leadership” saying they were confident that Senate would rule in their favour.
Mr Bundi castigated the governor for refusing to allocate the ward fund, saying MCAs would find it difficult to deliver their mandate without the funding.
“When leaders are elected they are expected to deliver services to their people. What would be the use of MCAs who cannot issue bursaries to children in their wards? How will they demonstrate the work they have done and how will the electorate gauge leaders’ performance,” he posed.
