Meru Women Protest Over Alleged Harassment of Kawira Mwangaza, Demand End to Intimidation
- Women in Meru county on Wednesday, May 21, staged a peaceful protest to condemn the alleged harassment of former governor Kawira Mwangaza
- The women marched to the office of the county commissioner, where they presented their grievances against the police
- They claimed the police were blocking Mwangaza’s ‘Okolea’ programme due to external political influence
- The Meru women further demanded that the former governor be respected and vowed to continue pushing for her justice
A group of women from Meru county have staged a peaceful protest to condemn alleged police brutality against impeached governor Kawira Mwangaza.
Source: Original
When did Meru women stage protests to support Mwangaza?
The women, who on Wednesday, May 21, marched to the county commissioner’s office in Meru town, demanded that Mwangaza be allowed to continue with her charitable ‘Okolea’ programmes.
They accused the authorities of politically motivated harassment.
The protest followed recent incidents in which Mwangaza was tear-gassed by police officers while addressing crowds in Kiguchwa, Tigania East.
Holding placards and chanting slogans, the women accused the state of targeting a leader who has continuously uplifted poor and vulnerable members of the community.
Sarah Kanyua, a resident of Meru Town, said the former governor had brought visible changes to the region and deserved to be respected.
“I don’t know what they want from Mama, because we have improvements to our roads, and she has constructed homes for the widows, giving them cows. People have become envious, while those complaining have never helped us because they were looking for rich people like them,” Kanyua said.
Similar sentiments were shared by Lucy Gacheri, a resident of Nkubu in Imenti South Constituency. She said she was saddened by the level of harassment the former governor was facing.
The locals also wondered why President William Ruto had remained silent while the former governor was being harassed.
“We ask the president, whom we respect, Why are we women being harassed? Why are you still silent since we were harassed in Kiguchwa and Igoji? Is this the same government protecting us that is beating us up?” Gacheri said.
The protesting women further decried what they described as a deliberate attempt to suppress women's leadership in Meru county.
Source: Original
They noted that the former governor was being targeted by the state for being a woman.
The women vowed to continue pressing for justice until Mwangaza is allowed to hold her meetings without facing harassment. They insisted that her Okolea programme has always helped many people in the region.
Police block Kawira Mwangaza
Previously, TUKO.co.ke reported that police officers had blocked the former governor from accessing a venue for her prayer meeting in Igoji, Ementi South constituency.
The governor insisted that the event, which had brought together locals from Igoji area, was purely a church gathering.
However, the police maintained their stance that Mwangaza, who was with her husband would not be allowed access to the venue due to orders from above. She later addressed the locals outside the venue of the event, as she maintained that she would not be intimidated.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Joshua Cheloti (Editorial assistant) Joshua Cheloti is a multi-skilled journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. He holds a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media and Communication at Mount Kenya University. At TUKO, he's an editorial assistant. Before TUKO, he worked at Nairobi Review as an editorial writer, at Hope Media (Hope TV and Hope FM) as a correspondent in Eldoret, Hivisasa.com digital content editor and online writer, at Biblia Husema Broadcasting (BHB), Eldoret as Radio Presenter. Email: [email protected]
Brian Gitonga Brian Gitonga is an award-winning multimedia journalist and published Swahili author with over four years of experience in broadcast media, multimedia reporting, writing, and editing across TV, radio, digital, and social media platforms. Dedicated to growing and evolving within the media industry while championing impactful storytelling. He is the TUKO.co.ke correspondent based in Meru. Email: [email protected]
