Isaac Mutuma to succeed Mwangaza as Meru Governor
Meru deputy Governor Isaac Mutuma will succeed Kawira Mwangaza as county governor following a court verdict on Friday that upheld her Senate impeachment.
Mutuma's swearing-in ceremony will be held on Monday, March 17 at Mwendantu Grounds in Meru County, according to a gazette notice issued by the government through the Chairperson of the Assumption of the Office of the Governor Committee on March 14.
“It is notified for information of the general public that the swearing-in ceremony of Isaac Mutuma M’Ethingia as Governor of Meru County shall take place on Monday, March 17, 2025, at Mwendantu Grounds, starting at 8:30 am,” the notice reads in part.
On Friday, Justice Bahati Mwamuye concluded that the petition seeking Mwangaza's removal did not meet the legal standard for overturning the Senate's decision.
He confirmed that Mwangaza received a fair hearing and denied her motion to overturn the gazette notice confirming her expulsion.
“The court has assessed the totality of the impeachment process and found that she was given ample opportunity to present her case and respond to allegations leveled against her,” Mwamuye said.
According to the Constitution, if a county governor's position becomes vacant, the deputy governor takes over for the remaining duration of the term.
A deputy governor who assumes the governorship is regarded as having served a complete term if there are more than two and a half years until the next regularly scheduled election under Article 180 (1). Otherwise, they are not considered to have completed the whole term.
Furthermore, a county governor serves until the next elected governor is sworn in, unless removed under the Constitution.
Mutuma was elected as Meru County Deputy Governor in 2022 as an independent, alongside Mwangaza, who won the gubernatorial election.
Mutuma, a Reverend in the Methodist Churches of Kenya, previously worked as a Senior Officer in the Kenya Prison Service.
He has also worked as a Child Rights Advocate for Plan International, a Youth Representative for Habitat for Humanity in the Mount Kenya Region, and a Human Rights Officer and Inmate Rehabilitation Program Implementer within the jail system.
Tags: Kawira Mwangaza Meru County Isaac Mutuma
