Former Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza’s Vehicle Stoned During Mashujaa Day Clashes

On Tuesday October 20, 2026, a vehicle belonging to former Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza was pelted with stones at Githongo Market in Central Imenti, Meru County, as Mashujaa Day celebrations were under way.

The attack unfolded while Mwangaza’s motorcade was en route to Githongo Stadium, where Governor Mutuma M’Ethingia was presiding, and involved supporters of Mwangaza and supporters of Governor M’Ethingia, leaving the vehicle damaged and one person taken to hospital.

Mwangaza’s husband, Murega Baichu, alleged that a locally elected leader was involved in the stoning, and Mwangaza later posted on Facebook that “government-sponsored goons” had targeted her in the presence of police and were on a mission to kill her.

In a separate Facebook post on Sunday October 18, 2026, Mwangaza claimed that youths had attacked supporters of the Linda Mwananchi movement in Ituine, Gituine, Igembe Central and along Laare road, saying some were armed with pangas and that a suspect fired a shot, and she called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to intervene, though no independent verification of arrests or investigations was reported.

The Linda Mwananchi Movement issued a statement on Wednesday October 21, 2026 condemning the Mashujaa Day incident, noting that Mwangaza had been invited by the County Commissioner, had the right to attend, and asserting that “Mashujaa Day belongs to all Kenyans, regardless of their political affiliation.”

The movement’s statement, signed by Pauline Njoroge, Head of Communication at the Linda Mwananchi National Secretariat, demanded prompt and impartial investigations, accountability for those responsible, and criticised the Council of Governors for remaining silent on threats faced by Mwangaza and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya.

No official account confirming the motive behind the vehicle attack or the outcome of any investigation has been released, and the precise trigger for the clashes remains unclear.