A section of women MPs has voted to replace KEWOPA Chairperson Hon. Wangui Ngirici with her Kiambu counterpart Hon. Gathoni Wamuchomba.
In what appears to be immediate retaliation from the embattled Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, the legislators accused Ngirici of failure to protect the interests of women in leadership.
Waiguru’s allies have all along accused Ngirici of being the force behind her impeachment.
KEWOPA is a membership association of all women parliamentarians drawn from across all political parties both elected and nominated in the Senate and National Assembly.
Ngirici however insists that the meeting was improperly convened and did not adhere to KEWOPA’s constitution on several matters.
Section 5(f) of the KEWOPA constitution stipulates that the expulsion of a member must be supported by signatures of not less than two-thirds of KEWOPA members.
Section 6(f) states that office bearers may be removed from office in the same way as is laid down for the expulsion of members.
Ngirici insists that the said leadership changes were fraudulent, citing that KEWOPA Members never received any notice of the special general meeting.
“I have not given any notice of resignation neither have I been notified in writing or even verbally of any gross violations/grounds that warrant my expulsion as KEWOPA chairperson”, says the Kirinyaga Legislator.
Ngirici’s stay at the helm of KEWOPA leadership was crowned by several achievements.
When several rape cases were reported at the Kenyatta National Hospital, she oversaw an overhauled system in how the hospital was run, with strict policies in managing the welfare of patients at the facility.
The outspoken legislator has taken central roles in fighting gender-based violence and women mentorship programs in several parts of the country.
One such initiative was the January 2019 Kenya Police Service Standard Operating Procedures for gender-based violence in Kenya, a joint partnership between KEWOPA and the Police I.G.
Ngirici has also spearheaded several partnerships with foreign envoys and partners on matters women empowerment, eradicating gender-based violence, and women inclusivity in governance.
