By The Weekly Vision Editorial Desk
The impeachment of Nyamira County Governor Amos Nyaribo yesterday arose from deep-seated political tensions within the executive, allegations of governance failures, and procedural disputes within the county assembly, according to sources who spoke to The Weekly Vision.
This was the third attempt to remove him from office since he took over in 2020 following the death of his predecessor, John Nyagarama. The motion passed with 23 votes from Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) out of the 31 present, meeting the required two-thirds threshold in a house effectively reduced to 32 members due to three vacant wards. Its success was aided by recent legal setbacks for Nyaribo’s allies and broader national political undercurrents.
The motion, moved by Bonyamatuta Ward MCA Julius Kimwomi Matwere, accused Nyaribo of gross violation of the Kenyan Constitution and other laws, including abuse of office, gross misconduct, and irregular appointments. Examples included the unlawful appointment of Dr Peris Oroko as County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture and the irregular constitution of municipal boards for Nyamira and Keroka without proper assembly approval.
Further allegations centred on mismanagement of public funds, including enacting the County Supplementary Appropriations Bill 2024/25 without assembly consent and recruiting county staff without an approved budget. These echoed earlier complaints from 2023, including allegations of nepotism and failure to remit statutory deductions.
A key charge was Nyaribo’s unauthorised reversal of a payroll audit decision issued by the County Public Service Board in January 2025, followed by an improper appeal lodged by the County Executive Committee. This was framed as contempt for legitimate authority and a glaring disregard for the rule of law.
Additional accusations included usurping the powers of the Auditor-General, failing to submit annual reports, and neglecting to deliver the State of the County Address for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 financial years. He was also linked to corruption investigations, including a recent Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) raid over a KSh 382 million tender.
Nyaribo was further accused of endorsing “Bunge Mashinani”, a parallel assembly led by ousted Speaker Enock Okero, which held informal sittings outside the official chambers between October 2024 and June 2025. This included approving a Public Service Board appointment panel through the informal sittings, a move later ruled illegal by a Kericho court in early 2025.
These successive court rulings, including a High Court decision in June 2025 affirming Okero’s ouster, weakened Nyaribo’s support and unified the assembly against him, enabling the motion to pass after previous attempts in 2023, 2024, and early 2025 narrowly failed.
Only 28 MCAs were physically present during the vote, with 12 abstaining. Speaker Thadeus Nyabaro controversially allowed six absent members to vote by proxy to secure a quorum, an action that is likely to be contested in the Senate. Nyaribo needed just 12 supportive votes to block the motion, but fell short due to the vacancies and shifting political loyalties.
The matter now proceeds to the Senate for consideration, where Nyaribo is expected to mount a robust defence.
