The High Court on Friday, February 21, 2025, ruled out an application for playing videos during the highlighting of submissions in the Meru governor Kawira Mwangaza case.

However, Justice Bahati Mwamuye stated that he would look into the video links, instructing the petitioner’s lawyers not to interfere with them.

“The videos will not be played at the highlighting proceedings. I will look at the links and you the petitioner’s lawyers should not tamper with them,” Judge Mwamuye ruled.

At the beginning of the proceedings, lawyer Elisha Ongoya representing petitioner Kawira Mwangaza told the court that they would be playing videos as part of their submissions.

However, his application was strongly opposed by lawyer Boniface Mweruru representing the County Assembly of Meru.

Mweruru said that the videos might be AI-generated and may be offensive.

Meanwhile, Ongoya told the court that the impeachment of Mwangaza was invalid since the motion was moved when there was a court order stopping it.

He noted that it was during that period that the county assembly of Meru passed the impeachment motion against the Mwangaza.

“The court ruled the impeachment process was halted pending the ruling but they went ahead to pass the impeachment motion,” lawyer Ongoya told the court.

He further termed the impeachment of the Meru governor as a mockery of the order that was made on July 24, 2024, by the Meru High Court halting the impeachment process.

Additionally, they told the court that chaos was witnessed during the impeachment process at the Senate after division emerged among the senators.

Notably, the lawyers told Justice Mwamuye that Justice Edward Muriithi of Meru High Court found the mover of the motion and top assembly officials guilty of defying court orders issued by Justice Poghon Kassan barring any discussion on the removal of Mwangaza.

In his ruling, Justice Muriithi fined the Meru County Speaker Ayub Bundi Solomon, the Clerk of Meru County Assembly Jacob Kirari, and the mover of the motion nominated Member of County Assembly (MCA) Zipporah Kinya Ksh100,000 each or serve six months jail term.

The hearing of the case will proceed on Monday, February 24, 2025, when senators will do their submissions.