Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has once again stirred local discussions in the county by naming a recently rehabilitated road after her husband, Murega Baichu.
Mwangaza shared images of the road, now in the process of being fixed, on social media, labeling it as the “Murega Baichu Road.”
This road that is currently under construction, serves as a connection between Kirung’a and the Muthalankari area in Meru County.
It’s worth noting that this road also leads to her father-in-law’s property, which could potentially explain her decision to name it after her spouse.
The road’s rehabilitation, located in Nyaki West Ward within the Imenti North Constituency, commenced just a week ago.
Accused of Nepotism
Governor Mwangaza has previously demonstrated a tendency to provide special recognition to her husband, a behavior that has led to accusations of nepotism.
In fact, she faced an impeachment attempt in December 2022, for about the same reasons, which she ultimately survived
In August 2023, a petitioner named Thuranira Selesion Mutuma made serious allegations against the governor Mwangaza.
The petitioner had asserted that Mwangaza had allegedly misappropriated public funds through suspicious payments to relatives and close associates.
Thuranira called for an investigation into how approximately Ksh42.4 million had been disbursed to four individuals within the past year.
He accused the “Meru County Governor” of engaging in “nepotism,” a clear violation of Article 10 of the constitution.
Further nepotism
Among the individuals mentioned in the petition were Mirriam Guantai, Rose Guantai, and Nephat Kinyua, all of whom were identified as relatives employed within the governor’s office.
Rose Guantai, the governor’s sister, was identified as a recipient of substantial sums of money from the county government.
According to the petitioner, between September 2022 and July 2023, Rose received a total of Ksh2,767,648 from the county, designated as payment for accommodation and unspecified items.
Records from the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMIS) confirmed that payments were indeed made to an individual named Rose Guantai by the county on multiple occasions during the reviewed period.
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