The Meru County Assembly has withdrawn the impeachment motion against Governor Kawira Mwangaza to allow the Njuri Ncheke Council of Elders to resolve the accusations made against her.
This move follows reports that the Njuri Ncheke declined the court’s request to handle the ouster motion, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
On Tuesday, the Assembly approved the motion to withdraw the impeachment, aligning with the court’s request for the elders to address the concerns. Deputy Majority Leader Zipporah Kinya, who originally moved the motion, tabled the withdrawal notice.
On Monday, the Meru High Court directed that the impeachment motion be managed by the Njuri Ncheke Council of Elders as part of an Alternative Dispute Resolution process. The Njuri Ncheke, the governing council for the Ameru people, often plays a role in conflict resolution and peace promotion within the Meru community.
Court documents reveal that Governor Mwangaza and her legal team must appear before the Njuri Ncheke on Wednesday, July 31. The Njuri Ncheke must submit their resolution or report on the matter within three weeks from Monday, July 29.
Njuri Ncheke Denounces Politics in Mwangaza Impeachment Case
However, on Tuesday, some elders denied that the Council sought to be involved in the impeachment motion. They stated they would not mediate and warned politicians against involving the Council in political disputes.
“You know this is politics. We demand that those who wish to engage in politics refrain from involving the Njuri Ncheke elders. We are not part of politics,” an elder said.
The council secretary general, Josphat Murangiri, stated that the determination of the civil case before the court is beyond their authority. He explained that the elders can only mediate if both parties agree, as outlined in Article 159 of the Constitution regarding the Traditional Dispute Resolution Mechanism (TDRM), which is supported by the court and tribunal establishment.
“We are aware of a court order requiring Governor Kawira and Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) to appear before the council of elders tomorrow, Wednesday,” Murangiri said.
“However, we have yet to see the order and determine if it falls within our mandate. Matters such as impeachment are beyond our jurisdiction, as they must be heard, interpreted, and decided in court.”
Murangiri noted that if the issue were purely about arbitration, the elders had already addressed it as directed by the president
“As elders of the Ameru community, we conducted our arbitration long ago. We will issue our directive once we review the orders, but at this point, there is little we can say,” he added.
