Impeachment: Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo to know his fate next week
Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo.
Embattled Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo will have to wait until next week to know his fate.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Enock Okero, adjourned to Tuesday next week the impeachment motion against Governor Nyaribo.
The 19-page motion contains 12 allegations against Mr Nyaribo, including illegal recruitment of staff, non-remittance of statutory dues, favouritism and nepotism.
Esise Ward Rep Josiah Mang’era moved the motion to remove Governor Nyaribo from office.
“The reasons for the impeachment are hereby attached,” Mr Mang’era said during Tuesday’s session.
A total of 27 out of 34 MCAs made it to the Assembly chambers, some for and some against the impeachment motion.
Magombo Ward Rep Reuben Miinda, who is also the minority leader, said the illegal recruitment of county staff is a violations of the Constitution.
“The governor oversaw the recruitment and appointment of the Director Human Resource Management and Human Resource Officer through a hand-picked process that was not competitive,” said Mr Miinda.
The MCAs further accused Mr Nyaribo of single-handedly directing or colluding with the chairperson of the County Public Service Board to issue the letters of appointment to the two officers in contravention of the law.
The governor is also accused of disobeying the judgment and orders of the court declaring the appointment and secondment of the two as illegal.
The court also ordered the revocation of the appointment and secondment of the said officers to the Nyamira County government.
The governor is also accused of overseeing a budget implementation that was not in accordance with the law and that showed a huge appetite for recurrent expenditure as opposed to actual development.
“Under the circumstances, the governor was in breach of the law. With this dismal performance, the people of Nyamira were denied essential public goods and services worth Sh444.5 million,” the MCAs said.
Mr Nyaribo will also have to respond to the alleged illegal removal of the County Public Service Board's CEO as accounting officer and the appointment of an acting accounting officer, which the county representatives say is against the law.
The devolved government is also alleged to have accumulated unremitted statutory deductions and unreasonably exposed itself to precarious financial risk.
Fifteen of the 34 MCAs validated their signatures with the Assembly clerk on Thursday last week.
Governor Nyaribo’s troubles began after he fired the County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Health, Dr Timothy Ombati, over corruption allegations.
The sacked Health executive has since gone to court claiming that he was unlawfully dismissed. He wants the governor to reinstate him.
