Njuri Ncheke, the Council of Elders for the Meru, has thrown its weight behind the nomination of lawyer Linda Kiome as Meru County’s new Deputy Governor, refuting claims that the community discriminates against women in leadership.
Speaking at a press briefing over the weekend, the elders insisted that Meru values and respects women, countering allegations that surfaced after the removal of the county’s first female governor, Kawira Mwangaza.
“This is proof that Meru people love women. We do not fight women. The issue was a lack of good leadership. Even if it had been a man with poor leadership, we would have taken the same action,” said Njuri Ncheke member Jasphat Murangiri.
Their remarks come in response to Mwangaza’s assertion that her impeachment was a politically driven attack on women in leadership. She has repeatedly accused male politicians of orchestrating her removal, claiming they saw her as a threat and refused to accept a woman in power.
Mwangaza argued that her ouster was not the people’s will but a calculated move by political rivals working alongside the National Government to push her out.
With Kiome’s appointment, Njuri Ncheke hopes to shift the narrative, urging Kenyans to recognize that leadership decisions in Meru are based on governance, not gender.
“My impeachment was not a reflection of my performance or integrity but a calculated move by male chauvinists, political competitors, and for political expediency, a complicit National Government willing to silence a woman who dared to lead,” Mwangaza said
“It is a sad reality that in 2025, women leaders are still subjected to systemic discrimination, harassment, and exclusion,” she added.
