The Council of Governors (CoG) has insisted on a public apology from the Inspector General of Police for the purported arrest of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza. In a unified stance, the county leaders are urging for the prompt apprehension of the implicated officers.
COG's Vice Chairperson, Ahmed Abdullahi, asserted that the police intervention was unjustified and demonstrated a blatant disregard for the Governor's rights as protected by Article 29 of the Constitution.
“We strongly condemn such bullying and intimidation and reiterate that the Governor’s office must be respected. The actions of the police demonstrate a disturbing pattern of attacking and intimidating Governors” Abdullahi who is also the Wajir governor said.
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“In this regard, the Council of Governors calls upon the Inspector General of Police to issue a public apology to H.E Mwangaza for the embarrassment, inconvenience, public humiliation, and ridicule that she was subjected to by the police officers. We also urge the Inspector General to take disciplinary action against all the officers involved in the arrest” he added.
The purported apprehension of the governor during her Okolea outreach program has sparked a range of responses. Despite the police refuting the claims, the governor, who is currently confronting a new impeachment attempt, maintained that she received a directive to enter the police vehicle, alleging political motives behind the disruption of her event.
“Contrary to the false allegations circulating on the social media, the National Police Service wishes to clarify, that Police have not arrested Meru Governor, Hon. Kawira Mwangaza” NPS clarified on X.
The IG Japhet Koome explained the governor on her own volition, boarded a police vehicle and thereafter voluntarily disembarked from the same vehicle.
“The National Police Service ‘shall not act in a partisan manner, further any interest of a political party or cause; or prejudice a political interest or political cause that is legitimate under the Constitution, ” Koome said in a statement.
The COG, however, has suggested that the matter would have been addressed differently, taking into account her status as an elected state official and the Head of a County Government.
“ We wish to note that there are existing National Government structures like the County Commanders’ offices that can be used to call upon Governors to present themselves to the police whenever a need arises”, the governors said.
