During her 2022 campaign for Meru governor, Kawira Mwangaza had seriously considered naming her husband, Murega Baichu, as her running mate. She trusted him and believed that together they could lead the county well. But Murega turned down the idea. He feared that the public would accuse her of nepotism and favoritism, which could damage her image before she even took office. Instead, he advised her to choose someone else and offered to help her find the right person. This led to the selection of Isaac Mutuma, who would eventually become her deputy and later the governor after her impeachment.
Kawira recently spoke about this decision in an interview, as stated by K24, revealing for the first time that Murega had been her first choice for deputy governor. She said she trusted him fully and believed he could help bring real change to Meru. But Murega was more concerned about how the public would react.
He told her it was not worth the backlash and that it would only cause more trouble for her leadership and their marriage. He said people would not see the appointment as genuine but as a move to benefit her family. Kawira listened to him and agreed.
Murega then introduced her to Isaac Mutuma, a man he had known for years. Kawira said she did not know Mutuma personally before that, but she trusted her husband’s judgment. Mutuma was working in the prisons department at the time.
He was hesitant to join politics, but after some thought and after agreeing to Kawira’s conditions, he resigned from his job and joined her as running mate. Kawira wanted someone who was born again, politically clean, and ready to leave their job behind.
Mutuma fit all those requirements.The decision turned out to be important later. Kawira faced two impeachment attempts in 2022 and 2023, and finally lost her seat in 2025.
After the High Court upheld the Senate’s decision to impeach her, Mutuma was sworn in as the new governor. Throughout Kawira’s time in office, Murega stayed in the background, though he still attended some county events and held ceremonial roles.
Even then, people questioned his involvement and accused Kawira of giving her husband too much access to county affairs. Had he accepted the deputy governor role, the criticism would have been worse. Many people now look back and see Murega’s decision as a smart one. It showed that he was thinking not just about himself but about how the public would view Kawira’s leadership. It also gave Kawira a better chance to focus on service without carrying the weight of nepotism claims from day one.
Even though Kawira’s time in office ended in controversy, her decision to follow her husband’s advice on this issue is being praised. It showed some level of respect for public trust. In a political environment where leaders often mix family and office freely, this choice stood out. It was a rare moment where personal interests were set aside for the sake of public image and leadership integrity.
