An epic political showdown is brewing in Nyamira.
On November 25, 2025, Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) will once again attempt to impeach Governor Amos Nyaribo, their third such effort in three years.
Intriguingly, this round appears to be a plot twist, as many of the allegations now levelled against him stem from his actions during the last impeachment attempt, giving the unfolding drama a sharp flavour of political revenge.
On Monday, Speaker Thaddeus Nyabaro formally notified the governor of the impeachment motion, just hours after it was tabled by MCA Julius Matwere.
“…you are invited… to appear before the County Assembly in its plenary sitting of Tuesday, 25th November 2025 at 10am,” reads the letter, citing Articles 47 and 50 of the Constitution and Standing Order No. 65.
In his motion, Mr Matwere argues that the governor has engaged in a “relentless and calculated assault” on the Constitution.
Chief among the accusations is that Mr Nyaribo grossly violated the Constitution and the County Governments Act when he sided with former Speaker Enock Okero and his faction of MCAs during the previous impeachment saga.
At the centre of that dispute is “Bunge Mashinani”, a breakaway assembly arrangement spearheaded by Mr Okero after he was ousted from office by MCAs aligned with the current speaker.
Ousted Nyamira County Assembly Speaker Enock Okero.
Photo credit: File| Nation Media Group.
Mr Okero’s camp went on to gazette the alternative sitting arrangement and held meetings across Nyamira County, away from the then politically charged county assembly headquarters.
According to the motion, the governor “deliberately engaged, endorsed and supported an unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional ‘Bunge Mashinani’ gazette” despite knowing that Mr Okero had already been removed from office through impeachment.
A subsequent High Court ruling in June 2025 affirmed that Mr Okero had ceased to hold the office of speaker in October 2024, rendering all his later actions illegal.
These rulings weakened Mr Nyaribo’s legal and political footing, leaving him exposed in an Assembly now firmly in the hands of his adversaries.
The governor is further accused of assenting to the Nyamira County Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2024, without the Assembly’s approval.
His action on November 26, 2024, allegedly undermined the Assembly’s representation and oversight roles.
He is also cited for appointing Ms Peris Oroko (also known as Peris Mongare) as the County Executive Committee Member for Public Service Management without the Assembly’s endorsement, again relying on decisions made by the now-discredited Bunge Mashinani group.
Mr Matwere also faults the governor for appointing board members for the Nyamira and Keroka municipalities and for constituting a selection panel to recruit officials of the County Public Service Board, all without the Assembly’s approval.
The motion frames these actions as a “blatant disregard for the rule of law and contempt for legitimate authority.”
The governor is further accused of failing to submit annual reports and to deliver the annual State of the County address for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 financial years.
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.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
The motion claims Mr Nyaribo ignored a court order from the Employment and Labour Relations Court (Kisumu) directing him to appoint one Clive Ogwora to the County Executive Committee.
This inaction allegedly cost the county Sh4.4 million in decretal sums, which later ballooned to Sh6.9 million due to accrued interest.
On abuse of office, the governor is accused of hiring staff without an approved budget.
These include 49 officers recruited between February and April 2021, as well as the Deputy County Secretary, County Attorney, support staff, and ward and sub-county administrators.
Similar accusations appeared in earlier impeachment attempts, including claims of selectively appointing Mr Geodfrey Kiraiago and Ms Elmeda Nyaberi to senior human resources positions.
Other allegations include the irregular receipt of Sh5.6 million in salary arrears, systemic payroll fraud amounting to Sh32 million, and multiple unlawful appointments.
“This is not a matter of minor administrative error but a sustained betrayal of public trust that demands the ultimate penalty,” Mr Matwere concludes.
“Nyaribo’s continued tenure is a catastrophic risk to the future of Nyamira County and an affront to the principles of devotion,” he says.
