North Imenti residents seek to recall MP Dawood over Gachagua vote

A section of North Imenti residents, led by prominent Meru-based lawyer Mugambi Kiogora, has launched a bid to recall area MP Rahim Dawood.

They accuse the three-term MP of voting in favour of the controversial Finance Bill 2024 and the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua—actions they term unconstitutional.

The group also cites his alleged failure to exercise proper oversight in Parliament, particularly regarding abductions and killings both nationally and in North Imenti, as well as his failure to lobby for budgetary allocations to complete stalled development projects.

Kiogora, who is spearheading the signature collection process to be submitted to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), said he is acting at the behest of residents dissatisfied with the MP's leadership.

“I have received numerous calls and requests from North Imenti voters who say they cannot wait until 2027. They want to exercise their rights under Articles 97 and 98 of the Constitution and Section 104 of the Elections Act to recall Hon. Rahim Dawood,” Kiogora said.

He added, “As an advocate, I have chosen to assist my fellow constituents by drafting the recall motion and overseeing the collection of signatures for submission to the IEBC for verification.”

However, Dawood, who has twice been elected as an independent candidate, dismissed the accusations as baseless and politically motivated.

“I’ve seen the complaints. Do they meet the legal threshold under Chapter 6 of the Constitution? Voting for the Finance Bill 2024 is not one of them, neither is voting on Riggy G’s impeachment. What stalled projects are they talking about? Roads have been done in most parts of North Imenti—or is it that the roads have not reached their homes?” Dawood posed.

He maintained that North Imenti has the highest road allocation in Meru County, noting that people often confuse national government roads with those under county governments.

“On other development claims, they must be specific. This is clearly a witch hunt by perennial losers. I don’t personally execute development projects—so what exactly do they expect from an MP, as defined in the Constitution?” he added.

Dawood said the recall push is a recycled political tactic by Kiogora, who attempted a similar bid in 2014. He also questioned whether the move was sponsored by the Citizen for Democracy Party (DCP), which Kiogora is affiliated with, and by individuals he defeated in the last election.

“The conditions for a recall are not a walk in the park. They are very stringent. I wish them all the best—but they must go the whole hog,” Dawood said.

Kiogora, who plans to run for the seat under the Gachagua-aligned DCP, defended his role in the recall push.

“There is no conflict of interest. I’m simply responding to a call from my constituents—and I am a registered voter in North Imenti,” he said.

Dawood’s business premises were among those damaged during last year’s anti-Finance Bill protests. He blamed political opponents for infiltrating the demonstrations and causing destruction to his property.