Nyamira county woes: MCAs start process to impeach Governor Amos Nyaribo
Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo before the senate committee on County Public Accounts (CPA) on February 20, 2023 over queries in the Auditor-General report for Nyamira County Executive for the financial year ended June 2020.
A section of Nyamira Members of the County Assembly have appended their signatures on a motion to impeach Governor Amos Nyaribo over “corruption and incompetence”.
Fifteen out 34 MCAs validated their signatures with the Assembly clerk on Thursday evening and vowed to table the impeachment motion on Tuesday next week.
Led by Nyamira Township MCA Duke Masira, the Ward Reps accused the Executive arm headed by Governor Nyaribo of laxity and under performance.
“We want to know why Nyamira town gets dark like a remote village at night yet there's money for development of street lights?” Mr Masira said.
"Even our health facilities don't have medicine. You can only find one or two paracetamol tablets.”
His Kiabonyoru counterpart, Vincent Benecha, said they were not on a witch hunt but are seeking accountability.
“We believe that we have grounds for impeachment. We will make our case and give the governor a chance to defend himself,” he said.
Mr Benecha said if the governor clears his name, he will continue with his job.
“If he is found guilty, we will ask him to vacate the position for someone else who can serve our people," he added said.
Nominated MCA Doris Nyamanga asked Mr Nyaribo to resign, wait to be impeached or be sent to jail.
“We do not want to be blamed for someone's incompetence. We cannot sit and watch as our people suffer for lack of medicine in hospitals and other essential services,” she said.
Bonyamatuta MCA Julius Matwere added, “The motion is ready and it will be in the Order Paper on Tuesday next week when we will resume our sittings after recess.”
County Assembly Speaker Enock Okero had called for a special sitting on Friday.
However, MCAs said there were technicalities and the sitting was pushed to next week.
In a notice made public last week, Speaker Okero said “the special sitting shall be held on Friday, September, 22, 2023 at 9.30am at the Assembly chambers.”
“The business to be transacted shall be to give a notice of motion for removal from office by impeachment of Amos Nyaribo, the governor of Nyamira County.”
The Speaker however informed the Nation that the notice had not yet been gazetted.
Talk of the looming impeachment began more than a week ago, moments after Mr Nyaribo sacked his Health Executive Committee Member, Dr Timothy Ombati, on claims that the officer misappropriated millions of shillings meant for medical supplies.
The governor accused Dr Ombati of misinforming him, thus betraying the trust the governor had accorded him to serve in the docket.
Dr Ombati has moved to court to challenge his sacking, claiming it was irregular. The matter is in the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Kisumu.
Recently, Mr Nyaribo scoffed at the impeachment threats by MCAs, declaring that not even a strand of his hair will be shaken.
The governor said that he was elected by the people of Nyamira and that it is only the same electorate that will remove him from office and not MCAs.
The governor, who addressed supporters in Nyamira town, said he had broken no law hence he had nothing to fear and dared the MCAs to make good their threat.
“The procedure of impeachment is well define in law. It involves a motion being initiated based on suspected violation of the law. The impeachment motion will be placed before the county clerk, with evidence of the alleged law that has been violated,” stated Mr Nyaribo.
