Wavinya dismisses Finance CECM Mutanu, Bringing Assembly Impeachment Process to an Abrupt End
By Martin Masai
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti has dismissed County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Finance, Economic Planning, Revenue Management and ICT Catherine Mutanu Raphael.
The Governor effectively ended the impeachment proceedings that had been initiated against her by the County Assembly.
Mutanu had been scheduled to appear before the Assembly’s Select Committee today morning to respond to four impeachment charges after successfully seeking additional time last Friday to prepare her defence.
However, before the committee could begin hearing the matter, members were informed by the Chairman Mr Francis Ngunga that the Governor had relieved Mutanu of her duties with immediate effect.
According to a dismissal letter that he read before the committee, Governor Wavinya, exercising powers conferred under Section 31(a) of the County Governments Act, dismissed Mutanu with effect from July 6, 2026.
The letter was copied to the County Secretary and Head of Public Service Dr. MuyaNdambuki.
The committee also received a communication from Dr. Ndambuki notifying both the Speaker and the Clerk of the County Assembly that the Governor had relieved Mutanu of her duties and requesting the Assembly to take note of the decision.
After reading the two communications, the committee chair informed members that the impeachment proceedings had effectively been overtaken by events.”Upon consultation with our committee members, we find that we have no business to proceed,” the chair ruled. “The matter is as good as concluded.”The chair nevertheless invited Mutanu’s legal team to voluntarily submit the written submissions they had prepared, saying they could enrich the Assembly’s records and serve as precedent for future proceedings.
Mutanu’s advocate confirmed that she remained their client but said they no longer had instructions relating to the impeachment proceedings because of the Governor’s latest action.”We will be seeking fresh instructions from our client considering the new developments. We may not release our written submissions without her instructions because advocates operate on instructions,” counsel told the committee.
The committee then formally brought its sittings to a close.
The dismissal marks a dramatic end to an impeachment process that had generated significant political attention in Machakos County.
Last week, Mutanu appeared before the committee and successfully persuaded members to grant her more time to prepare her response after informing them that she had received the committee documents late.
Her defence had been expected to address four impeachment grounds levelled against her by members of the County Assembly.
With the Governor’s decision taking effect immediately, the Assembly committee no longer has a substantive matter to determine, although the County Assembly is expected to be formally notified of the development when it next sits.
Neither Governor Ndeti nor Mutanu had, by the time of publication, issued a detailed public statement explaining the reasons for the dismissal or indicating whether the former Finance executive intends to challenge the decision.https://theanchormedia.org/2026/07/03/mutanu-secures-more-time-assembly-committee-defers-hearing/
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