When Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza, who is also the Baite Family Fellowship bishop, goes into prayer and fasting soon, it will be to “exorcise the demons that have taken the assembly hostage”.
In her own words, members of the Meru County Assembly were under the influence of demons when they walked out on her before chaos broke out on Wednesday.
Governor Mwangaza was elected as an independent candidate after staging a successful campaign alongside her husband Murega Baicu.
Her governorship started on the right footing, with a majority of elected leaders attending her inauguration in August and pledging to work as a team for the benefit of the people.
She was clear that she did not need any favours from MCAs as she was ready to be questioned.
“I will give the assembly freedom to do their work. I am ready for their oversight and will work with them at the grassroots. The MCAs should allow me to fast-track development,” she said.
But trouble started ahead of the swearing-in of MCAs, with Governor Mwangaza accusing Senator Kathuri Murungi and former senator Mithika Linturi of demanding a share of her government.
She also accused the two of attempting to influence the election of the assembly Speaker.
“I do not have any preferred candidate for the Speaker because I will work with whoever is elected. The assembly should be independent to check the executive,” the governor said.
All was well with MCAs, until they went for their induction workshop in Mombasa.
When Speaker Ayub Bundi adjourned the House to allow members to go to the workshop, he announced that they would have time to interact with the governor.
While the governor joined the MCAs in Mombasa, they have accused her of failing to show up for the bonding session.
“We expected to have enough time with the governor to chart the way forward, but she left immediately after addressing us,” an MCA said.
Mr Bundi said: “When we went to Mombasa, the governor did not find time for the members despite promising to have dinner with them.”
Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza (in white) in the County Assembly after MCAs staged a walk out in protest of what they say is disrespect and inability to get an audience with her.
In her usual style, Ms Mwangaza hit the ground running, meeting the people or seeking to root out cartels.
Some MCAs have accused the governor of visiting their wards to address weighty matters without involving them.
Majority Leader Evans Mawira said the governor was lecturing and questioning MCAs at public meetings.
“MCAs are not members of the executive to be made to stand before the people to answer questions. It is disrespectful,” Mr Mawira said.
But what has angered the ward reps most is Ms Mwangaza’s failure to be specific about implementation of a proposed ward fund.
In her manifesto, Ms Mwangaza had promised to allocate Sh100 million per ward, which could be a tall order.
When the governor expressed interest in addressing the assembly, MCAs saw a chance to negotiate for a ward fund.
But Mr Bundi said their calls to the governor went unanswered for the last one week.
“I called the governor on Saturday and Sunday but she didn’t pick up my calls,” Speaker Bundi said.
“I was under instructions from members to [ask] her for a meeting to agree on various issues before her address.”
Ms Mwangaza’s statement that she would go to villages to give bursaries to deserving residents had also not sat well with MCAs.
Mr Bundi added: “We wanted to know how much will go to the ward fund.”
Mr Mawira said that besides the governor ignoring their calls, Deputy Governor Isaac M’Ethingia, who was reachable, was rude.
“The deputy governor said the governor does not work with conditions. He said they can work without MCAs. As long as she is not ready to talk to us, we won’t talk to her,” Mr Mawira said.
Mr Bundi said the standoff escalated when the governor entered the assembly forcefully against procedure.
But Governor Mwangaza dismissed the MCAs’ claims, saying she had been working and meeting them since she took office.
She blamed the feud on some senior Meru politicians who lost in the last elections.
“I have gone all the way to Mombasa at their invitation to meet them. I have met the House leadership [several times] and I have been to their wards. Those are just excuses aimed at frustrating my government,” the governor said.
She also claimed that some MCAs had demanded Sh5 million to facilitate approval of County Executive Committee (CEC) member-nominees.
Ms Mwangaza added that MCAs were disgruntled after she turned down requests to hire their girlfriends.
But Mr Mawira, the majority leader, dared the governor to produce evidence that such requests were made, dismissing the claim as sympathy-seeking.
“If MCAs have been looking for jobs for their wives, they are justified because the governor leads by example. She has employed her sisters as her body guard and personal assistant. Her cousin is the government spokesman and her husband is the MYS patron,” Speaker Bundi shot back.
Governor Mwangaza said she was ready to work with MCAs when they are ready to work with her.
“I will fast and pray that the demons that made them hurl insults and throw stones leave them,” she said.
In the meantime, Mr Bundi said all Meru elected leaders would meet on Monday to resolve the leadership wrangles. BY DAILY NATION