The Meru High Court has postponed its ruling on a petition to halt the impeachment motion against Governor Kawira Mwangaza, rescheduling the decision to August 20.
This delay aims to allow for discussions through the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism.
Justice Linus Kassan, who was set to rule on the matter today, decided to defer the decision to encourage dialogue before the Njuri Njeke, the supreme council of elders for the Meru people.
“To promote active ADR, the ruling is deferred to August 20, 2024,” Kassan stated.
The Njuri Njeke, which serves both as a traditional governing body and a judicial entity within the Meru community, will play a key role in this mediation process.
The judge instructed both the Meru County Assembly Members (MCAs) and Governor Mwangaza to appear before the council with their legal representatives on Wednesday.
He also directed that the Njuri Njeke submit their resolutions or any lack thereof within three weeks.
Governor Mwangaza, represented by lawyer Elias Mutuma, argued that the impeachment motion is a politically motivated attack by her adversaries.
She criticized the motion, claiming it was flawed and based on evidence that is still under judicial review.
Mwangaza suggested that external political forces are attempting to remove her from office due to political divisions within the county assembly.
In his ruling, Justice Kassan emphasized that the impeachment motion must be well-founded and in the public interest to avoid wasting taxpayer money on a potentially futile process.
He also clarified that while the court does not wish to interfere with the separation of powers, it seeks to prevent an unnecessary and costly procedure.
