Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza is set to stay in office for another 120 days following a ruling issued by the court on Wednesday, December 18.
In his ruling, Justice Bahati Mwamuye extended the conservatory orders that blocked the impeachment of the governor.
The judge explained that the decision to extend the conservatory orders was to ensure that there was no leadership vacuum in the country.
The 120 days set by the court will allow the court to hear and determine the whole impeachment case.
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"The conservatory orders issued by this court on August 21, 2024, are confirmed and extended for 120 days and in that time the petitioner shall continue to serve as the governor of Meru County with a provision that the judgement shall be issued before the lapse of the set period," the judge ruled.
Mwangaza was impeached by the members of the Meru County Assembly on August 8.
The Senate, after hearing the matter also upheld the impeachment of the county boss.
The impeachment grounds against the governor included gross violation of the constitution and the violation of the Public Officer Ethics Act.
"In the third charge the Meru County Assembly is accusing Governor Kawira of irregular payment of emergency call allowances to 161 doctors and medical officers using the wrong rates leading to excessive payment of Ksh74,340,000 and sse of manual payroll to pay personnel emoluments amounting to Ksh102.94 million (3.1 per cent of Personnel Emoluments costs)." read the statement by the Senate.
"The Members of the County Assembly are pointing fingers at the Governor for employing a bloated workforce, of at least 111 personal staff in the office of the Governor, thus contributing to an increase in the wage bill by more than Ksh500 million and an excessive wage Bill that is 49 per cent of the annual revenue allocation far beyond the 35 per cent limit set."
